Tortorella tips hand: Robinson will play
KANATA, Ontario — Every so often, coach John Tortorella will offer up a nugget of news about his lineup the day before a Blue Jackets game.
It happens about as much as he is willing to comment about the opposing team before a game, which is almost never. That makes it newsworthy when it happens, and it happened after practice Thursday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Tortorella said rookie forward Eric Robinson will play for the fourth straight game on Friday, when the Blue Jackets face the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre looking to end a twogame slide.
“You can’t help but love his speed, his size and his reach,” Tortorella said. “In the (past) two games he’s played, I think he’s had five or six scoring chances. The puck tends to follow him around. He is certainly a guy that … he’s playing (Friday).”
Robinson doesn’t have a point in the six games he has played over two NHL stints this season. What he does have is a growing confidence. In the past three games, Robinson has logged 13:54 against the Chicago Blackhawks, 14:55 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and 15:17 in a 3-2 loss Tuesday to the Canadiens.
“I haven’t gotten the result in the past couple games that I or the team would’ve liked, but I think we’re doing a lot of good things,” said Robinson, who signed with the Blue Jackets last season out of Princeton. “I’m just helping the team as much as I can right now, and then the confidence is there. If you get 14 or 15 minutes, that means Torts has some kind of trust in you, and that definitely helps with confidence.”
Robinson, who was Princeton’s captain Blue Jackets left wing Eric Robinson doesn’t have a point in his six games this season, but he has impressed coach John Tortorella by creating scoring chances.
as a senior, made his NHL debut last season in the Jackets’ regularseason finale at the Nashville Predators — the end of a twoweek stint he spent soaking up the NHL lifestyle after signing his contract.
After finishing his degree at Princeton, Robinson returned to Columbus in the summer to train at Nationwide Arena. He helped the Jackets’ rookie team win their annual tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, rolled into training camp on a high note and has quickly gained traction with the Cleveland Monsters as a rookie.
Back at practice
The Blue Jackets had full attendance at practice, which included forwards Artemi Panarin and Markus Hannikainen, who missed the game Tuesday against Montreal while ill.
Panarin rejoined Pierre-luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson on the top line during the hour-long workout, while Hannikainen skated in his usual spot at left wing on the fourth line.
Tortorella didn’t say whether either will be available against the Senators, but Hannikainen, who has missed three games, will need to be activated off injured reserve if he plays.
All aboard
The Blue Jackets went “old-time hockey,” with their method of travel from Montreal to Ottawa.
After practicing in Montreal, they boarded a three-car train and got to the next stop the oldfashioned way. They didn’t dress in 1920s or ’30s attire, like some NHL teams have done in the past, but defenseman David Savard’s Indiana Jones hat was a nice touch.
“I am pumped for the train ride,” Tortorella said, giving a nod to Julie Gamble, the team’s manager of team services seated nearby. “Julie and I, we talked and did it this summer. I think it’s great. I think it’s the way we (should) travel everywhere, quite honestly, but it’s just not feasible.”