Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips December 28, 2017 - January 2, 2018 Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 03: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Tortorella downplays, then stokes rivalry with Penguins PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Atkinson joins injured list; he and Wennberg out 4 to 6 weeks PAGE 06: Columbus Dispatch: Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 4, SO | Jackets fall after blowing lead PAGE 08: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets | Injuries give trio opportunity PAGE 09: The Athletic: Despite big break, golden chances, Blue Jackets find way to lose to Penguins PAGE 12: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets | Artemi Panarin’s scoring vital for team struggling with injuries PAGE 14: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets | Veterans’ mistakes costly vs. Penguins PAGE 15: The Athletic: The 'Ask Porty' mailbag, vol. 14: Time to make a trade? Primanti Bros. or Tip Top Kitchen? Tortorella's love of veterans PAGE 20: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Might Brassard make his way back to Columbus? PAGE 22: Columbus Dispatch: Senators 5, Blue Jackets 4 | Comeback stuns Jackets PAGE 24: The Athletic: Two nights later, Blue Jackets blow another two-goal lead, lose to Senators PAGE 27: The Athletic: Inside the Blue Jackets' postgame kepi tradition PAGE 29: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets | Sergei Bobrovsky’s recent play raises concern PAGE 30: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets | Zach Werenski back from injury, back with Seth Jones PAGE 32: Columbus Dispatch: Jackets lay an egg on New Year’s Eve PAGE 34: Columbus Dispatch: Lightning 5, Blue Jackets 0 | Lightning’s four-goal second period leaves Jackets reeling PAGE 36: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets notebook | Korpisalo buried under second-period onslaught PAGE 37: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets | Nick Foligno moves up to top line PAGE 38: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets | John Tortorella: Don’t play safe, but play smart PAGE 40: The Athletic: 'Safe is Death' has died: John Tortorella pulls plug on Blue Jackets' aggressive style of play Cleveland Monsters/Prospects PAGE 43: Cleveland Plain Dealer: Cleveland Monsters rocked by Grand Rapids Griffins, 5-2 PAGE 44: Cleveland Plain Dealer: Cleveland Monsters drop second to Grand Rapids Griffins, 5-3 PAGE 45: The Athletic: CBJ Depth Dive: Checking in on the Cleveland Monsters NHL/Websites PAGE 47: Sportsnet.ca: 31 Thoughts: Is Letang’s situation too complex for an in-season deal? PAGE 54: Sportsnet.ca: NHL Power Rankings: New Year’s Resolutions Edition PAGE 57: Sportsnet.ca: 10 bold NHL predictions for 2018 PAGE 59: USA Today: Five young U.S. stars to watch at world juniors 1 PAGE 60: The Athletic: First outdoor world junior game a success — at the expense of hockey PAGE 62: Sportsnet.ca: Jeff Glass finally joins his famous 2005 WJC teammates in the NHL PAGE 64: Sportsnet.ca: Canadiens shopping Max Pacioretty amid scoring slump PAGE 65: Sportsnet.ca: Bettman says NHL will never bring three-on-three OT to playoffs PAGE 66: TSN.ca: Dahlin living up to hype at WJC as consensus No. 1 pick PAGE 68: Sportsnet.ca: Down Goes Brown Weekend Wrap: Is Atlantic playoff race already over? PAGE 73: USA Today: Winter Olympics: 2018 Team USA men's hockey roster for Pyeongchang Games 2 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171227/blue-jackets-tortorella-downplays-then-stokes-rivalry-with- penguins Blue Jackets: Tortorella downplays, then stokes rivalry with Penguins By George Richards – December 28, 2017 PITTSBURGH — NBC has dubbed Wednesday its “rivalry night”, yet isn’t broadcasting from PPG Arena tonight when the Blue Jackets take on the Penguins. NBC’s loss. Although Columbus coach John Tortorella feels the two teams need to play in the postseason a few more times to get that true hatred flowing, there’s little doubt something is brewing. “You can see it developing and, quite honestly, I don’t like the team,” Tortorella said Wednesday morning before the two Metropolitan Division rivals clash here for the second time in a week. “I say that not in a personal way, but it’s a team we want to beat. Maybe I’m defining that this is a rivalry, I don’t know. It’s a great building; we respect them, this is a great team we’re playing against. But you have to have a bit of an edge to play against them, and I think that’s how we’re going into it.” What don’t you like about the Penguins, coach? “Oh, a lot of things,” Tortorella said. “But I’m not going to get into that.” Last week’s game — won 3-2 in a shootout by the two-time defending Cup champs — had plenty of intrigue. And plenty of bad blood flowing. There were fights between the likes of Lukas Sedlak and Ryan Reaves, Nick Foligno and Evgeni Malkin while Sidney Crosby found himself in the middle of some scrums, as well. Expect more of the same after a three-day Christmas break? “I’m sure it will be, yeah,” Foligno said. “We’re obviously teams who have a lot of emotion toward each other so it will be a good game to get us back into the swing of things after Christmas.” Added Reaves: “They like throwing the body around and we have to play the same game. I expect it to be just like last time.” Lineup changes With Alexander Wennberg (back) and Cam Atkinson (foot) out for at least a month, the Blue Jackets are giving an extended look to Sonny Milano, Jordan Schroeder and Tyler Motte. Milano will open on a third line with Sedlak and Matt Calvert; Motte and Schroeder join Markus Hannikainen on the fourth. “It’s part of the league,” Tortorella said. “Injuries are part of the game, next man up. We’re going to go play.” For Milano, this is his chance to grab a spot on this team and run with it. Milano has played in 28 of the 37 games so far, but has spent more time in Cleveland than he would probably like. “This is pretty big,” Milano said. “Guys are missing so that’s more ice time for other guys. I’m just trying to get the best of it.” 3 Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang will not play tonight. Werenski may return Friday Defenseman Zach Werenski (upper body) skated with his teammates on Wednesday but will not play. If he practices Thursday here in Pittsburgh, he could be back Friday in Ottawa or Sunday against the Lightning. “He’s day-to-day,” Tortorella said without adding anything more. Werenski declined to comment except to say he had fun in Michigan over the break. 4 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171226/blue-jackets-atkinson-joins-injured-list-he-and-wennberg- out-4-to-6-weeks Blue Jackets: Atkinson joins injured list; he and Wennberg out 4 to 6 weeks By George Richards – December 28, 2017 Injuries are part of any hockey season. For the Blue Jackets, however, this is starting to get ridiculous. Columbus lost yet another top player to injury during Saturday’s win over Philadelphia as winger Cam Atkinson suffered a fractured foot that will require surgery. The team announced Atkinson will miss four to six weeks. The Blue Jackets also confirmed center Alexander Wennberg will miss extensive time after hurting his back in a 3-2 shootout loss at Pittsburgh last Thursday. Wennberg, like Atkinson, is expected to miss a month or more. The Blue Jackets’ injured list is starting to pile up. Columbus was already without center Brandon Dubinsky as well as defensemen Ryan Murray and Zack Werenski heading into the weekend. The good news: Murray has been skating and seems to be closing in on a return to the lineup; Werenski isn’t expected to be out long. The bad: Columbus will be without three of their top scorers for the next few weeks. Dubinsky, although off to a slow start this year, scored 12 goals with 41 points last season. He has three goals and 12 points this year. He has been out since breaking an orbital bone when getting punched in the face during a game against Edmonton on Dec. 12. Dubinsky is expected to be out until February. Wennberg led the Jackets in assists last season as he had a career-high with 13 goals and 46 helpers. Wennberg was starting to get his game back in gear of late, registering three of his four goals in the past eight games. Atkinson has led Columbus in scoring in each of the past two seasons and has six goals and 13 points this year. The Jackets haven’t announced any roster moves heading into Wednesday’s game at Pittsburgh although a combination of Tyler Motte, Jordan Schroeder and Sonny Milano are expected to rejoin the team from Columbus’ AHL affiliate in Cleveland. Dubinsky, Atkinson and Wennberg are three of Columbus’ highest-paid players; the trio account for $14.3 million of the team’s $69 payroll this season. 5 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171227/penguins-5-blue-jackets-4-so--jackets-fall-after-blowing- lead Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 4, SO | Jackets fall after blowing lead By George Richards – December 28, 2017 PITTSBURGH — John Tortorella said before Wednesday’s game that he didn’t particularly like the Pittsburgh Penguins. Don’t expect his attitude on that subject to change any time soon. Tortorella’s squad held a two-goal lead on the Penguins midway through the third but ended up losing to the Penguins 5-4 in a shootout at PPG Paints Arena. It was the second shootout loss for the Jackets in this arena to that team in a span of a week. “We’re OK, getting ready to play our next game,” Tortorella said afterward.