Ken Hitchcock doesn't believe in punishment practices, even after one of the worst losses of his
coaching career and one of the worst losses in Blue Jackets history.
But the Jackets didn't get off easy yesterday when they gathered in Nationwide Arena only 12
hours after a 9-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
"I don't believe in brainless practices," Hitchcock said. "If you play a brainless game and
follow it with a brainless practice, you're probably going to play brainless the next game,
too."
The Blue Jackets, who play the Anaheim Ducks tonight in Nationwide Arena, had a practice that
Hitchcock described as "structured and competitive."
Bruising and
battering would have worked, too.
"Everybody knew it was coming," goaltender Steve Mason said. "We're all really disappointed the
way we played (Wednesday) night, and we're embarrassed by it.
"The coaches are trying to get this thing really stopped in its tracks and get this thing moving
again. We knew it wasn't going to be easy today."
Early in practice, Hitchcock had a 42-inch TV wheeled behind the bench so the players could
watch their copious mistakes against the Red Wings in high definition.
"That probably was the biggest point made out of all of them," winger R.J. Umberger said. "I've
never seen something like that before."
Hitchcock barked at the players several times, once shouting: "We're turning it over everywhere,
let's go!"
Mostly, though, he let them take out their frustration on each other.
The final drill started as a one-on-one with forwards trying to work their way around a
defenseman in the offensive zone. After 10 or 15 seconds, two more skaters joined the fray. Then
two more.
It was not for the faint or flowery. Defenseman Fedor Tyutin got whacked in the hand and needed
to get medical treatment. Center Derek MacKenzie got clipped above his left eye with a stick blade,
and right winger Derek Dorsett got smacked in the mouth and nearly lost a tooth.
"It's only loose," Dorsett said. "No big deal."
Captain Rick Nash threw a thunderous check on center Mike Blunden, defenseman Mike Commodore put
a pile driver on Dorsett after they got tangled up near the blue line, and Umberger took Nash off
his skates with a hard check in the corner.
"Look, competing is an issue for us right now," Umberger said. "There was some method to
practice, but mostly it was about competing."
The Blue Jackets have had two lulls already this season, during which they get away from
checking and become sloppy with the puck in their end.
Hitchcock said he wasn't happy with the two previous games -- wins over Atlanta and Carolina --
but those two clubs lack the veteran firepower of the Red Wings, who turned the Blue Jackets'
mistakes into fuel for their fire.
"It was revealing," Hitchcock said. "We have to get some foundation back.
"When you see how we gave up the middle of the ice (against Detroit) and how many mistakes we
made on the forecheck and under pressure, we had to work on that stuff."
aportzline@dispatch.com
