PREVIEW: Blue Jackets vs. Panthers

PANTHERS (7-5-3) at BLUE JACKETS (10-6-2)
7 p.m. Thursday, Nationwide Arena (Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports app; CD102.5 FM) - BUY TICKETS
Nick Foligno endured his worst scoring slump at the start of his fourth NHL season with Ottawa Senators in 2010-11.
Lessons learned from going the first 24 games without a goal help him understand some of the angst that surrounds his current Blue Jackets teammates Zach Werenski and Anthony Duclair, young and talented players going through rough stretches.
"You're focusing on things that don't matter instead of what does," Foligno said. "There's a lot of that that happens in this league. You've got to streamline your thought process a lot of times.

"I'm sure it's the same thing for Zach or Duke or any of these guys in here. When you start thinking of things that don't really matter, it takes away from your game, then your game usually goes down the dumpster or affects it a little bit."
Werenski, 21, was moved off the top defense pairing with Seth Jones the past three games to the third unit and played just 14:27 against the Dallas Stars on Monday (Jones was on the ice for 28:38). Werenski's even-strength time was 9:11.
Duclair, 23, is tied with Josh Anderson for second on the team in goals (seven) but was dropped from the second to fourth line for his lack of checking and was on the ice for only 7:20 during the 2-1 defeat of the Stars.
As coach John Tortorella prepares to Werenski and Duclair to face the Florida Panthers on Thursday at Nationwide Arena, he wants to make clear he is not punishing them.
"This is not a doghouse thing. It isn't," the coach said. "Duke's come close to the doghouse. You bring the doghouse into when you think they're not listening to you. I think they're listening. It's an ever-going process with young players, a young team, of teaching."
Tortorella said short-term pain can result in long-term gain if both players understand why their minutes have been reduced.
"We have to make the call but it's not to grind them. It's to help them," he said. "It takes a little pressure off Z playing with Jonesy, playing top minutes against top players.
"Duke, we have to teach him. I don't think it's a situation where he doesn't want to learn, doesn't want to try. We have to teach him what try is, the definition of try and how to play away from the puck because I don't think he understands it."
Communication is vital.
"The biggest part of my job is making sure they go home, out of the building, understanding why we're doing it and what we expect," Tortorella said. "I don't want them confused as far as where we're at here and playing head games. I'm not playing head games."
Werenski was asked if there's been conversation with Tortorella since the demotion.
"Not really. We talked once. That's kind of it," he said. "I'm not dumb. I understand what he's saying. I'm trying to move forward and get better."
Boone Jenner said the older players offer encouragement to Werenski and Duclair.
"They're good players a big part of our team. They know that," he said. "They've had some great minutes for our team. We want to keep them going and keep them up."
As captain, Foligno said he's always willing to pass on his knowledge and experiences but at some point, the onus is on the players to chart their own course.
"Sometimes it's not about a guy putting his arm around you, it's you digging deep within yourself and figuring out where it is that is going to help you get back to your game and we'll be there to support them," he said. "It's not like we're leaving it to them to figure it out for themselves but a lot of it just does.
"Offensively, those two players are great for us. It's just that we all have to check. We all have to have a commitment to that. That's been mandated and talked about in this room. Everyone's doing it, you've got to jump on board.
"At the end of the day there's so many pats on the back you can get, so many people will go out of their way (to help) but it's a business and if you're not doing it someone else will."
By the way, that awful start for Foligno in 2010-11? He finished with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists).
By committee
The Blue Jackets are displaying some scoring depth with Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois leading the way with eight goals. After the seven for Duclair and Anderson, Foligno has six and Artemi Panarin - goalless in eight games since scoring twice vs. the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 27 - has five goals.
"It shows every line can score," Anderson said. "Whenever there's a line out there it's pretty dangerous. Anytime of the game when we do need a goal anyone can do it."
By the numbers
The Panthers have won five straight after a 2-1 at the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Forward Mike Hoffman has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) during a 13-game point streak to the tie Pavel Bure (March 10-April 5, 2000) for the longest streak in Florida history. Forward Evgeni Dadonov has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in a 12-game streak. … Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in his past three games is 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .966 save percentage. …. The Blue Jackets have scored a power-play goal in four straight games, going 5-for-11.
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Artemi Panarin -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno -- Boone Jenner -- Josh Anderson
Brandon Dubinsky -- Alex Wennberg -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Markus Hannikainen -- Riley Nash -- Anthony Duclair
Ryan Murray -- Seth Jones
Markus Nutivaara -- David Savard
Zach Werenski -- Scott Harrington
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: D Dean Kukan, F Lukas Sedlak
Injured: None