Columbus, Ohio - With the Blue Jackets man-games lost due to injury hitting 209 once the puck drops tonight, the players have almost become numb to the news of another player going on Injured Reserve. The NHL average for man-games lost to injury in 2013-14 was 245 over 82 games. Tonight's game against the Chicago Blackhawks is Game 32 for Columbus.
Adversity has followed this team around since the beginning of the season like a buzzing mosquito that will not go away. Center Boone Jenner is the latest player to be added to the IR list with a stress fracture in his back and is expected to miss 1-2 months.
"It seems like you're getting healthy," said head coach Todd Richards, "then the injury bug comes back. It's not just losing Boone, its losing Brian Gibbons on Thursday. So, we've lost two left wingers and guys that were playing some key roles for us."
This situation creates opportunity for players to step up and fill the void left by injuries. Right wing Jeremy Morin and center Alex Wennberg (recalled from Springfield) are being thrust into roles that they might not have had with a healthier roster.
"This obviously leaves some big minutes out there," he said. "I was using Boone on the power play, penalty kill and five-on-five. When you lose those minutes and the way that he plays, there's opportunity for other guys. And that's the way you have to look at it."
With Richards moving Nick Foligno back to the wing and reuniting him with center Ryan Johansen, Morin gets moved up in the lineup, too. He's shown some initial chemistry with Foligno in the two games he's played since being traded from Chicago.
"It's awesome," said Johansen of skating with Foligno. "He's been our best player, for sure. We kind of feed off each other on the ice and hopefully we can make a difference for our team tonight and moving forward."
"He's a fast player," he said of having Morin on his other wing. "He plays fast and thinks the game fast. I played the last 10 minutes in Detroit with him and I really like the way he plays. He thinks the game at a high level."
The Blue Jackets have found ways to win since the beginning of the month, and although the loss of Jenner for 1-2 months leaves a void in the lineup, they know what they have to do to continue their climb up the standings. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the guys in the room know that it's time to step up again.
Keys to ending Chicago's dominance
The last time the Blue Jackets defeated the Blackhawks in Nationwide Arena was March 25, 2010. Chicago holds a 13 game winning streak over Columbus, outscoring them 55-23 in that span.
"You've got check and be committed to skating," said Todd Richards of how to beat the Blackhawks. "You have to try to take away their time and space. You need to limit their opportunities. They're going to get opportunities, we know that. It's about what are we willing to give up tonight."
Blue Jackets lineup (projected)
Forwards: Atkinson/Dubinsky/Calvert
Foligno/Johansen/Morin
Tropp/Wennberg/Skille
Cracknell/Chaput/Boll
Defense: Johnson/Savard
Tyutin/Prout
Wisniewski/Connauton
Goal: Bobrovsky
Scratches: Leopold, Goloubef, Collins
Blackhawks lineup (projected)
Forwards: Saad/Toews/Hossa
Versteeg/Richards/Kane
Bickell/Shaw/Sharp
Carcillo/Kruger/Smith
Defense: Keith/Seabrook
Oduya/Hjalmarsson
Erixon/Rozsival
Goal: Crawford
