Positive identification is made on Jackets: tough out

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella has been coy about saying whether his team has established an identity. Yet, a host of opponents have described it thusly: “Tough to play against” — which probably suits Tortorella, who cares not whether a sentence ends in a preposition so long as it blocks shots.

Such was Henrik Zetterberg’s take, more or less.

Last month, after Detroit lost to the Blue Jackets and the

Washington Capitals in succession, Zetterberg, the Red Wings captain, was asked to compare the teams. He said:

“Columbus, the last game we played, I thought was a tougher team to play against. They’re a lot harder and they play different. Don’t get me wrong, (Washington) is a really, really good team, but it’s a different team than, let’s say, Columbus.”

The Capitals currently have the best record in the league (43-13-7).

Tortorella said in January, at the end of a 16-game winning streak, that he didn’t know what he had. He said he would have an answer by the end of February. It is March.

On Thursday — after the Blue Jackets beat a Western power, the Minnesota Wild, 1-0 at Nationwide Arena — Tortorella saw the Pete Townshend question coming. He did not answer the “Who are you” directly, but he came close. He said his team’s biggest strength was its balance, and its ability to play any style — fast, hard, patient, whatever — and play well.

“The most important thing is, I think we feel we can win,” Tortorella said. “It’s not about hoping to win. We’ve crossed that line of hoping when a game starts. Now, it’s ‘ That’s a very important mental hurdle to cross.”

Tortorella has his team. At 40-16-6, the standings say that it is the second-best team in the East and one of top three in the league. Leave aside, for a second, the black hole that is franchise history. This is a fine team.

Defenseman Kyle Quincey is a solid deadline acquisition. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen got him straight-up for Dalton Prout, who has been a perpetual scratch this season. Forward Lauri Korpikoski, who came from Dallas for minorleague defenseman Dillon Heatherington, also is a solid deadline acquisition.

On any given night, the Blue Jackets are the youngest team in the league. Quincey has appeared in more playoff games (54) than all but two Jackets (Scott Hartnell, 91, and Brandon “Pocketful of Rings” Saad, 67). Korpikoski has 30 playoff games under his belt.

Helpful veterans are exactly what the Blue Jackets need. Good on Kekalainen for not blowing up the house, or the farm, to do anything louder. Kekalainen is no John Sebelius, but his composition is coming together.

“Our room is still our room,” Tortorella said. “It’s a tight room.”

Now, for the stretch run.

The Jackets had a fitful, 8-10-1 stretch after their historic winning streak. Since, they have, quietly, reestablished their place among the elite. They are 5-1-1 in their past seven games — all against teams that are surefire or bubble playoff teams. Their past two games have been as compelling as their goaltender.

On Tuesday, Sergei Bobrovsky lost a 1-0 duel to Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens, the top team in the Atlantic. The Jackets returned home and, Thursday night, Bobrovsky beat the Wild and another Vezina Trophy candidate, Devan Dubnyk. It was a thriller with a total of 78 shots and a playoff level of vigor which, at times, turned nasty.

All the pieces are now in place, foolish fourth line and all. Tortorella has his team and, man, he has the lads playing a relentless style. Or, whatever you want to call it.