The Columbus Blue Jackets played one of their worst games of the season on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. With that win, the Devils leaped the Jackets for first place in the Metro Division. Fortunately for the Union Blue, they get a second crack at those Devils tonight in New Jersey. A win puts them back in first place. What will it take to reverse the outcome? Yesterday Coach Tortorella gave some insight into what he saw going wrong with his team:
The young players are carrying the team.
It’s the leadership group that are not playing well enough.
Torts is tired of talking, and now needs the players to put in the work. He’s not going to “babysit” the players.
Torts gives an example about Artemi Panarin, who he sat down with and discussed flaws in his game. Panarin then put in the work at practice and has played better since then.
There’s the implication that some players aren’t putting in the extra time who should be.
He warns of complacency regarding their position as a playoff team. Unlike a Pittsburgh, this group has not yet earned that right because they haven’t been a perennial playoff team.
Torts put the entire bottom 4 defense on blast. Sounds like Nutivaara is close and will immediately bump someone from the lineup when he does return.
The only possible change to the lineup may be Markus Hannikainen in for Tyler Motte./
