Zherdev now clear on what’s expected
Two days after kicking right winger Nikolai Zherdev out of practice, coach Ken Hitchcock welcomed him back into the lineup last night against the St. Louis Blues.
It wasn’t a tough decision, Hitchcock said.
“(Zherdev) is like any player that happens to,” Hitchcock said. “He was disappointed. But I liked his response. He’s practiced well the last two days.
“This is a work in progress. He’s a really talented guy, and we need to find a way — between him and me — to make this work.”
Zherdev stayed on the ice for 50 minutes longer than the rest of the Blue Jackets during practice Tuesday, the same amount of time he missedMonday.
Hitchcock and Zherdev met Tuesday, and although Hitchcock wouldn’t divulge the exact conversation, he shed more light on what he expects from the 22-yearold Russian.
“He has to do the things that you ask of all the other players,” Hitchcock said. “You can’t have it one way. You can’t have it so that you work only when the puck comes near you. You’re a teammate. You have to do those things. It’s really simple. You don’t wait for someone else to do your job. Everybody carries their own weight.
“So, did it come to a head? Yeah. And we’ll see where it goes from here. He knows that we as an organization … we mean business here. This is all about winning. That’s all it is, winning.”
Zherdev played 13 minutes last night, generating three shots on goal and a minus-2 rating.
Not going to happen
Counting a 4-2 loss last night, the Blue Jackets have dropped five of six games, a swoon that has killed their hopes of making a late-season charge into the playoff race.
Even so, Hitchcock doesn’t plan to spend the rest of the season in youth-movement mode.
“I can’t think like that,” Hitchcock said. “I don’t think it’s fair to the players and it sure as heck isn’t fair to the fans. We’re playing every game to win. If the (young players) earn it, you’re darn right they’re going to get what they earn. But it’s all about building a foundation right now, and the only way you do that is by winning.”
Brassard back
Center Derick Brassard, the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 draft pick last June, will make his 2006-07 debut Friday for his junior club, the Drummondville (Quebec) Voltigeurs.
Brassard suffered a serious shoulder injury before he could take part in Blue Jackets training camp last fall. In Columbus last week to meet with team doctors, he said there was a chance he wouldn’t play at all this season.
“We sent him to his junior club to skate for seven days and then phone us,” president and general manager Doug MacLean said. “He’s been totally cleared. The doctor who did the surgery told me that it would appear that he never even had surgery, that’s how well the procedure went.
“I’m thrilled. I think it’s really for him to play a couple of months and get something out of this season.”
Brassard could be sent to the Jackets’ American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse when his junior club’s season ends March 18.
Slap shots
Hitchcock switched the defensive pairs, putting Rostislav Klesla and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen together on the top pair. Tollefsen took Adam Foote’s spot next to Klesla. The other pairs were: Foote-Anders Eriksson and Bryan BerardRon Hainsey.