Thought of missing time with injury pains Jones

PHILADELPHIA — Wearing a heating pad wrapped around his midsection a couple of hours before a game Thursday night at the Philadelphia Flyers, Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones smiled.

“I feel good, ready to go,” Jones said.

Jones was in the lineup, as expected, despite aggravating an upper-body injury in the Jackets’ previous game Monday and sitting out practice Wednesday. Jones said there was never doubt in his mind that he’d be ready.

“We’re in a position right now in a tight playoff race, where I want to play,” he said. “I want to be out there with my teammates, battling with them. So I’m doing everything I can to play.”

Jones said he understood Tortorella’s decision to hold him out of the third period Monday — Tortorella said he made the call despite trainers clearing Jones to return.

“I wasn’t a happy camper,” Jones said. “But that’s not my decision to make at that time.”

Tortorella said he wouldn’t limit the defenseman’s role as a “rover.” Jones, who started the night with four goals the past three games, said he would remain aggressive. “My goal is to be a difference-maker every game,” he said.

Gerbe gets new contract

The Jackets signed minor-league forward Nathan Gerbe to a twoyear, two-way contract extension through the 2019-20 season. Gerbe is guaranteed $400,000 each of the two seasons regardless of whether he’s with Columbus or minor-league Cleveland. Gerbe played in two games with the Jackets last month.

Perfect finish?

Before the Jackets took the ice in pursuit of their sixth consecutive win, Jones predicted a strong finish.

“We may not go 12-0 to end the season, but we can get pretty dang close,” he said.

But “if things don’t go our way in a particular game,” Tortorella said, “you can’t blow yourself up. You’ve just got to stay steady here.”

In teammates they trust

Tortorella agreed with defenseman Markus Nutivaara’s assessment that players have trusted each other on the ice more lately than earlier this season.

“It just comes down to having a little success,” Tortorella said.

A look ahead

Only two of the Jackets’ remaining 11 games will be against fellow Metropolitan Division teams. The Jackets went into Thursday’s game 12-10-3 against Metro opponents, including 4-2-1 in the past seven.

Coming in, the Jackets had just four games remaining against teams currently in playoff position while the Flyers had six and the Devils and Panthers had seven apiece.

Positives for third line

The Jackets’ recently assembled third line of center Alexander Wennberg and wings Boone Jenner and Thomas Vanek started the night a combined with a plus21 rating since March 6 — first in the NHL during that span. Tortorella said Wennberg’s play has improved and Vanek is “clicking” there.