Murray, Nutivaara settle into defensive pairing
Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara aren’t strangers when it comes to playing together.
After seeing time as a defensive pairing for the Blue Jackets in each of the past two seasons, the duo is proving especially valuable as Seth Jones remains unavailable due to a preseason knee injury.
So much so that, at least for now, coach John Tortorella said he doesn’t plan to split them up when Jones returns in a few weeks.
“That’s a pair I think we’ve settled right now,” Tortorella said after Monday’s practice. “Another week from now, we could be saying, ‘ What the ( heck) are they doing?’ The game changes Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray said of partnering with Markus Nutivaara, “I think we just get along pretty well together.”
every day and players change their play
every day. It’s our job to try to keep them consistent.”
Tortorella said the plan would be to reunite Jones with Zach Werenski as the top pairing. Veteran David Savard has been filling Jones’ skates in that role, while Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan and Adam Clendening have rotated through the third pairing.
Murray, who stepped in for the season opener after a freak groin injury robbed him of nearly the entire preseason, said he and Nutivaara are just doing their part to fulfill their roles in Jones’ absence.
“I think we just get along pretty well together,” he said. “We find each other on the ice pretty well and read each other pretty well. Obviously Jonesy’s a great player and he’s a huge part of our success, but at the same time you’ve got to do the job and whatever challenge you’re given, you’ve got to accept it.”
Although Tortorella said that the Blue Jackets didn’t play like a team that lost 8- 2 to Tampa Bay on Saturday, the result shows that there is work to be done.
After having Sunday off, the Blue Jackets held an on- ice practice Monday, with plans for a videoexclusive session Tuesday before getting back to the ice Wednesday.
There is plenty of ground to cover, particularly on specialty situations that are more difficult to practice than watch.
“We have a lot of five- on- five video we’ll show ( Tuesday),” Tortorella said. “We have a lot of power- play and penalty- killing video we’ll show ( Tuesday) because we have an opportunity to and use this time wisely to make us better.”
Of the 24 scoring chances the Blue Jackets ceded to Tampa Bay, Tortorella said only nine of them came in five- on- five situations.
Given the lopsided defeat to the Lightning, forward Anthony Duclair said he is ready to get back into a game.
“Put that last game behind us and move forward,” he said. “It’s refreshing at times ( to have a break), but sometimes you want to just get back out there.”