The Blue Jackets held a spirited morning skate in advance of hosting the Edmonton Oilers tonight at Nationwide Arena. Head coach Todd Richards chuckled when asked if he had a "feel" in front of the game on which team, Jekyll or Hyde, would show up. "I'm afraid to even feel in the sense that I don't even go that way anymore. Sometimes you're expecting certain things and you get the opposite, good or bad. It's one of those things. You don't know. To me, John Davidson said it best, it's a box of chocolates. You're never sure what you're going to get."
With Nikita Nikitin in the lineup, Richards said it will be a game-time decision on who sits defensively tonight. Defenseman Tim Erixon was sent back to Springfield this morning.
With the club claiming forward Corey Tropp off waivers yesterday, his inclusion in the lineup gives Todd Richards more options on who's in and who's out moving forward. With Derek MacKenzie, Jared Boll and Brandon Dubinsky all out, Tropp brings some energy and grit to the lineup.
"He's competitive and there's some toughness there", said Richards. "He's an energy guy. I've heard some things about him that could be some upside there. And whenever you're looking at guys, you're always looking to improve your team. Maybe he can come in and provide some energy. There's some grit there, too."
The motivation factor for tonight's game is high for the Blue Jackets, with their memory fresh of the 0-7 shellacking they received at the hands of the Oilers a mere 10 days ago. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
