Even with the latest spate of injuries, however, players were pleasantly surprised yesterday by the appearance of an unexpected visitor.

The gentleman with gray hair and a long black coat briefly addressed the team before practice and told the players how proud he was of their recent efforts under adverse circumstances. It's the kind of stuff his late father also loved to do.

Jackets majority owner John P. McConnell spoke to the team, or what's left of it, as it prepared for two mettle-testing road games in Detroit and Washington starting tonight.

"It shows we have a guy who really cares about the players and the team," center Michael Peca said. "You can tell he's a lot like his dad (John H. McConnell, who died in April) in that he doesn't come around too often or overshadow the team in any way.

"But he wanted to take the opportunity to say how proud of us he was and that means a lot."

The Jackets have been losing more players than games in recent days, and their unity and willingness to support each other have helped them through a difficult stretch.

They head to Detroit, home of the Stanley Cup champions, missing six regulars, including three of their top six point producers. The Jackets, though, have managed to stay in playoff contention by winning four of their past five games.

On a day the Jackets returned defenseman Rostislav Klesla (foot) to injured reserve, coach Ken Hitchcock said team chemistry has been vital.

"If we didn't have it we would have been out of the race," he said. "With what we have gone through injury-wise we would be long gone. The unity and togetherness have kept us afloat."

The Jackets have received strong leadership from captain Rick Nash, who has nine points in the past four games, and significant sacrifice from winger Fredrik Modin, who continues to play despite broken toes.

Forward Manny Malhotra has elevated his game in the absence of Derick Brassard, and defenseman Fedor Tyutin fought St. Louis' David Backes on Saturday after the Blues forward leveled Kristian Huselius with a cross check. Huselius (possible concussion) will not play tonight.

The actions of Tyutin, who rarely fights, are symbolic on several levels. Brassard suffered his season-ending shoulder injury in a fight Dec. 18 avenging a hit on Tyutin. Last season, it was Backes who kneed former Jacket Nikolai Zherdev without any retribution from teammates.

"That's what good teams do, they stick up for each other," Nash said. "Fedor saw Brass do the same thing for him."

The Jackets realize they will need more than grit to earn points in the two remaining games of a season-long, six-game swing. Hitchcock believes the Capitals -- owners of the NHL's second-best home record (17-1-1) -- serve as a prime example. They have played with as many as eight regulars out of the lineup this season.

"We talked about the way Washington has handled it," Hitchcock said. "They could have been the first team to pack it up. They have gone the other way."

It's believed that McConnell and team president Mike Priest have given general manager Scott Howson the green light to make a trade adding payroll. But significant deals are rare in the new NHL, and Peca said the Jackets cannot rely on one.

"We are not in control of Scott going out and adding players or whatever he's going to do," Peca said. "It's always the players' mentality that you want to stick together and show you have the capability to do that. We have to rely on each other."

treed@dispatch.com