Jackets’ Anderson close to return
Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderson participated in his first full practice Wednesday since suffering a sprained knee on Feb. 26, and he said he is “ready to play” Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Anderson, who has missed 17 games, and coach John Tortorella spoke privately on the ice at the end of practice.
“He just asked me how I felt. I said I felt pretty good,” Anderson said. “It’s up to him. I’m just going to be waiting here, ready to play whenever. ”
Tortorella described Anderson as “dayto-day” but didn’t say whether he would play. When Anderson returns to the lineup, he likely will start out on the third line, where Alex Broadhurst played in his NHL debut Tuesday. Anderson, who has 18 goals and 11 assists in 61 games, initially was expected back after four weeks.
After goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 23 shots on Feb. 18 against the Penguins, Tortorella alluded to Bobrovsky’s struggles being mental, noting “There is something that has gone on with Pittsburgh with Bob here the last little while.”
On Wednesday, Tortorella angrily refused to answer a question regarding that remark. Bobrovsky declined to speak with the media.
Bobrovsky was 1-4 with a .882 save percentage and 3.88 goals-against average in last season’s firstround playoff series against the Penguins, and he has allowed nine goals on 60 shots the past two matchups.
“If we battle them all over the ice, we’ll limit their Grade-A chances, which in turn will certainly put Bob in a better spot,” defenseman Ian Cole said.
The Penguins boast the NHL’s No. 1 power play (25.9 percent). The Jackets had killed off 11 of 12 penalties in five games before Tuesday, when they surrendered two power-play goals to the Red Wings before killing off a penalty called with 54 seconds left in regulation.
“We’ve come up with kills when we’ve needed them,” center Mark Letestu said. “That one (kill against Detroit) was probably more important than the two that went in.”
Against the Penguins, Letestu said, “It starts in the faceoff circle. And then you have to make them earn their setups. You want to take away time and space, and hopefully force them into mistakes.”
Defenseman Markus Nutivaara (upper body) practiced but didn’t participate in team drills. Jack Johnson is expected to fill in for Nutivaara again Thursday. Forward Nick Foligno (lower body) skated on his own at the Ice Haus. Forward Lukas Sedlak has yet to practice since being struck in the head by the puck on March 22 against the Florida Panthers.
The Jackets announced that single-game tickets for all potential firstround playoff games at Nationwide Arena will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Sales will be restricted to Ohio residents for the first 72 hours. … Defenseman Seth Jones was given a “maintenance day” off Thursday. … Defensemen Zach Werenski, who went to University of Michigan, and Cole, who grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but attended Notre Dame, have a friendly wager on this weekend’s Frozen Four matchup between their alma maters.