COLUMBUS, Ohio - It seems as if this season is the good news/bad news season. Every time that there is good news with a player returning to the lineup, there immediately follows the bad news of another player getting injured.
The latest combo is the much-anticipated season debut of forward Boone Jenner and the return of Matt Calvert to the lineup. And the bad news that accompanies this is that second-year defenseman Ryan Murray has had a "setback" and is out of the lineup for Tuesday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jenner, after having surgery on his broken left hand at the end of training camp in September, will draw in tonight on a line centered by Alex Wennberg with Matt Calvert on the opposite wing.
"I'm pretty excited right now," said Jenner, "just being in the room, doing the game-day skate with them and getting ready for the game is exciting."
The anticipation is all the more important for him with the Blue Jackets looking to halt a five-game losing streak. He wants to pick up right where he left off.
"Yeah, absolutely," he said. "I want to come back by storm. I've been working pretty hard the last couple of weeks to make sure that my game is where needs to be. I want to get out there and contribute right away."
Left wing Matt Calvert has been out for the last four games with an upper-body injury. Sean Collins was assigned to the Springfield Falcons to make room for Calvert on the roster. Calvert, 1-1-2 (-2) through the first 7 games, is looking to bring a spark to the team alongside Boone Jenner.
"For me and Boone," said Calvert, "we keep it simple. We're energy guys and we play a similar game. We've both been out, he's been out for quite a while, and I think the biggest thing is getting a few hits, get the puck in deep and get into the game."
Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards is expecting a boost with both Jenner and Calvert playing versus the Hurricanes.
"I think they're going to provide some energy for our group," said Richards, "and for our team. But, we've got to be able to use that energy in the right way. We have to be able to sustain it for 60 minutes."
Setback for Murray
Defenseman Ryan Murray had a minor setback and will not play tonight. "Ryan had a minor setback," said Richards, "and right now he's just day-to-day." Asked if it was Murray's knee giving him problems, Richards would only say "lower body". Murray is 0-0-0 (-3) in 4 games for the Blue Jackets this year.
St. Denis draws in
Defenseman Frederic St. Denis, called up from the clubs' AHL-affiliate Springfield Falcons yesterday, will make his debut for the Blue Jackets tonight versus Carolina. He played 17 games in the NHL, all with the Montreal Canadiens, going 1-2-3 (+3) in those games.
"Yes, I'm very excited," St. Denis said. "Usually, with getting called up, you'd be more nervous. But now, I feel more excited. I feel like I can help the team. That's the goal tonight."
The native of Greenfield Park, Quebec, has a familiarity with the systems, as they run the same systems in Springfield. This contributes to an almost seamless integration into the lineup when a player gets the call from the big club.
"I don't have to learn another system," he said, "so it's perfect. They do pretty much the same thing on the PK, the power play, 5-on-5, all of the breakouts and fore-checking... it's all the same thing. For sure, there will be an adjustment. The first and second shift will be good for me (to get adjusted)."
Blue Jackets a.m. skate lineup
Forward lines:
Defense pairings:
Tyutin-Johnson
Erixon-Prout
St. Denis-Savard
McElhinney in goal with Forsberg as backup
The puck drops at 7 p.m. for the Blue Jackets vs. the Hurricanes.
