COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Blue Jackets are anxious
because of a three-game losing skid that has them outside the top
eight teams in the NHL's Western Conference.
Again.
That's Michael Peca and other veterans are counseling the
younger players to not panic. With 28 games remaining in what
amounts to their first run at the playoffs, the Blue Jackets need
to avoid pressing.
"At the end of the day, it's a game, we need to have fun,"
said Peca, who has played in 93 postseason games with Buffalo, the
New York Islanders and Edmonton during more than a decade in the
league. "We understand the importance of the games and the way
scenarios play out for the playoffs and everything else. But if
you're not having fun, the game becomes much more difficult."
Still, it's difficult not to grip your stick a little tighter
when you've never experienced the weight of being in one pivotal
game after another for the very first time.
The Blue Jackets, who have been outscored 12-5 in losses to
Phoenix, Nashville and Minnesota in the last seven days, went into
this week just three points behind Nashville, which has a tenuous
hold on the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
"Obviously, it's coming down to the wire here, so every point
from here on out is so big," rookie tough guy Jared Boll said
Monday. "We've got to start getting on a winning streak here and
keep going."
Coach Ken Hitchcock has also been down this road lots of times
before, first with the Dallas Stars and then in Philadelphia. He
has taken teams to the playoffs in eight of his 10 full seasons
heading into his first full year with the Blue Jackets.
"This is the first real bump for us," he said. "We were
talking about it today. Every team goes through an extension of
injuries or sickness, a loss of energy. The problem for us is that
we haven't put money in the bank to afford it. So we've got to get
this thing turned around right away."
Columbus hosts Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL's top goal-scorer,
and the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena.
It is expected to be the Blue Jackets' second straight sellout.
Just like the fans, the players have taken notice of Ovechkin's
impending arrival.
"Whenever you have a player of that caliber coming in, we're
not going to revamp our whole game plan and our whole system to
compensate for him," Columbus forward Manny Malhotra said. "He's
obviously a huge part of their offense, a huge offensive threat.
And we will pay special attention to him."
The Blue Jackets got more bad news on Monday. One of their top
players, Fredrik Modin, went back on the injured reserve list with
a hamstring problem. He had already missed most of the season with
back problems. He's expected to be out a week or so.
In addition, leading goal-scorer Rick Nash left practice early
with a bad chest cold -- the same ailment which has hit just about
everybody on the team. Nash is expected to play on Tuesday night,
but several other teammates have been waylaid by sickness and the
flu over the past few weeks.
Even though Peca, captain Adam Foote and other veterans are
preaching patience, they also know that a loss is just another
wasted opportunity that could come back to cost the franchise its
first trip to the playoffs.
"We've seen all season long that if you win a couple, you're
back in it. We're not out of this thing by any means," Peca said.
"But certainly the way we've played as a team is of concern and
needs to be addressed and needs to improve. But you win a couple
and it could mean the difference."