Crashing the net: Hartnell knows from experience -- these Jackets are tenacious
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With opening night just 17 days hence, even the veterans are getting a bit anxious and excited. Head coach Todd Richards said Sunday that players don't want to practice, as they would much rather play the games. Players do know the importance of practicing, yet when they're this close to the start of the season, they want the puck to drop.
Forward Scott Hartnell is set to begin his 14th year in the NHL. By now, he's been through his share of grinding practices where the coach preaches repetition to ensure that systems are fully understood. The seemingly endless cycle of drills is very familiar to him.
The preseason games (he did not play on Sunday, but will dress for Tuesday's game versus Pittsburgh) are, to him, the start of it all. Yes, there are many more practices to come. But this is the time of year that the adrenaline starts to flow more freely.
"I can only speak for myself," said Hartnell, "but to be upstairs watching the game, watching my teammates for the first time and a lot of guys trying to make their mark for the management and the coaches, it's exciting for me to see the guys play."
Hartnell has a reputation for being tenacious with and without the puck. He brings his brand of grit and skill to the union blue and thinks he'll fit right in with the way "Blue Jackets hockey" is played.
"He (Todd Richards) stressed the forwards being fast on pucks and creating lots of turnovers," Hartnell said. "I think it's no different throughout the whole league. It's a young, fast league. I guess I am getting a little bit older and maybe a bit slower.
"But, you've got to use your head when you're out there playing. I'm excited to be with this young group of guys and make things happen."
He remembers what it was like to play against this team last year when he was with Philadelphia. Looking ahead, he knows exactly what to expect from this young team and should mesh nicely with his playing style.
"It's about being physical at the right times," Hartnell said. "I remember playing against these guys last year, and they were very annoying and a quick team. They were always on you. That leads to frustration and things can spiral from there. It's about not losing control.
"I think Richie (Todd Richards) has good control on the guys and I'm just excited to get my first game under my belt."
One other thing that Scott Hartnell brings to Columbus is the fact that he's not well liked in Pittsburgh. The six-game playoff series between the Blue Jackets and the Penguins saw a budding rivalry begin to form. He knows that that lack of fondness from Pittsburgh will intensify now. Put simply, he's not well-loved in the 'Burgh.
"I think 'hate' is a better word," chuckling as he said it. "And, I think the feeling is quite mutual on that front. You know, watching that series last year, you could see some rivalries... obviously the teams, the cities and even a couple guys versus some of their guys. It was a great series to watch. It definitely gets the blood flowing and your game elevates for those games. I think even in the preseason it will be elevated, too."
Injury update
Head coach Todd Richards said Monday that Ryan Murray (knee) and Nathan Horton (back) are still day-to-day. The coaches and management know that the regular season is more important than the preseason games and are saving these players for games that mean something. He said, "As a group, we recognize the importance of the regular season. There's a lot of caution in this, that's all."
Per Richards, Boone Jenner, after leaving Sunday night's game early, is fine Monday. Defenseman Tim Erixon left the game in Carolina early after getting his knee banged. "Actually, his knee is a bit swollen. But the other guys, it's more just managing them. It's just soreness. That's what you get on the third day of camp."
First roster cuts upcoming
Richards hopes that the players are giving their "all" in relation to their intensity during the early stage of training camp: "I would hope that they're approaching every day like that. The guys that are fighting for jobs, fighting for positions, fighting for ice-time...I'm hoping our guys are doing the same thing.
"You want to create a culture and you want to do certain things. That's the way you've got to approach every day. It's about getting better, and that comes with intensity. It is harder when you're going against your teammates, I do understand that."
Richards expects to make the first round of culling the roster on Wednesday after consultations with GM Jarmo Kekalainen. He said "nothing's been put in stone as far as what we're going to do."
