It might seem crazy to consider game No. 4 of 82 a “must-win,” but that’s exactly where the 0-3 Blue Jackets are ahead of tonight’s tilt against Ottawa.
“We’re treating this as the most important game of the season,” Columbus d-man Dalton Prout said, per the Dispatch. “It’s a must-win.”
While Prout is the only Jacket calling tonight must-win -- well, the only Jacket we’ve seen say it, anyway -- it’s pretty clear the entire team considers tonight’s game a crucial one.
“It’s going to be a big effort by everyone [tonight],” Scott Hartnell said. “We’ve fooled around enough the first few games.”
Looking for a spark, head coach Todd Richards shuffled his lines at Wednesday’s morning skate. The most noteworthy shift was Boone Jenner’s promotion to the top line next to Ryan Johansen and Brandon Saad.
Jenner, who scored 16 goals as a rookie and nine in 31 games during an injury-riddled ’14-15 campaign, is being counted on to bring his trademark work rate and energy to the Jackets’ top unit.
Related: Poll: Which of these 0-3 starts is most concerning?