Blue Jackets left winger Jason Chimera returns to the lineup tonight in Nationwide Arena as a member of the defense-minded third line.

Chimera's first assignment might be checking his emotions.

The veteran forward has not played since Sept. 18, when he was hit from behind by Minnesota Wild center Eric Belanger and taken off the ice on a stretcher. Chimera suffered a concussion, a stiff neck and cuts requiring 14 stitches in his face.

He called the hit dirty and has not returned a voicemail from an apologetic Belanger.

Chimera said yesterday, however, that he won't go out of his way to target Belanger in the regular-season opener.

"You can't get too excited or you will get yourself running around, out of position," Chimera said. "If the hit is there I will make the hit, but if it's not there, I'm not going to run around just to try and get back at him."

Belanger received a five-minute boarding major for the hit. His reputation as a clean player might have spared him from a suspension. The Wild did not dress Belanger for the Sept. 21 exhibition game in Columbus.

"It's not a matter of getting revenge or trying to prove something to anyone," said Chimera, 30. "I've been around long enough that I don't need to prove anything to anyone. I don't want to run around and get my team down a man for two minutes."

Belanger told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he has no plans to fight Chimera should the Blue Jackets' winger extend an invitation.

"I said what needed to be said -- I've moved on," Belanger said. "He can take penalties on me. I don't care. Be my guest."

The Wild might play John Scott, a 6-foot-8 defenseman and tough guy, on Belanger's left wing.

Jackets winger Jared Boll said the team's focus remains on winning, not exacting revenge.

"It's always in the back of your head," Boll said. "We know who did it and we know what happened, but we can't let that get in the way of getting two points. This is a huge year for the franchise and we want to get off on the right foot and that's with a win, not trying to get back at somebody."

Shoot the puck

Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock might have been sending a message to his power-play point men yesterday with an announcement that Anton Stralman will play as soon as he's available.

The newly acquired defenseman was expected to receive his U.S. work visa yesterday and join the team Sunday in Vancouver. Hitchcock plans to play the Swede on Monday night against the Canucks. Stralman would have played tonight, the coach added, had his paperwork been in order.

The pronouncement came as Hitchcock discussed his disappointment with his point men's reluctance to shoot the puck on the power play.

"It's a confidence thing," Hitchcock said. "They worry about getting their shots blocked or not getting their shots to the net. We want to bring it; we want to roll it downhill. Any good power play brings it from the back end.

"You need to be stubborn and arrogant a little bit when you shoot the puck. You have to think, 'I can score from here,' or you will never shoot."

Slap shots

The Blue Jackets had sold 17,000 tickets to tonight's game as of yesterday. ... The franchise has eclipsed its corporate sponsorship sales from last season.

treed@dispatch.com