DALLAS -- In a 3-2 win Monday, Blue Jackets right winger Jared Boll turned down two invitations from the Edmonton Oilers' Zach Stortini to fight. That Boll declined both times led to rampant speculation among both clubs' fan bases.

In Columbus, the belief was that Boll must have been hurt. In Edmonton, he was deemed a wimp.

The Jackets' coaching staff, meanwhile, was delighted.

Boll was told to focus on harassing a particular Oilers player, and to do so he needed to be on the ice, not in the penalty box. That Boll swallowed his pride, fought his urge and kept his gloves on was seen as a positive.

"(Jared) has the ability to get the attention of players further up the food chain," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He can affect players on the other team who actually impact the game.

"We didn't need the energy changed at that time. He's getting smarter about it. We gave him a guidance to get another person's attention on that team, and he did a very good job of it."

Hitchcock would not reveal which Oilers player they wanted Boll to "affect," and he ordered Boll not to reveal it, too.

Boll is only 13th in the NHL this season with five fighting majors, proof of a new approach to his role.

"I don't want to be fighting every single night," Boll said. "Nowadays you need to be able to do more than fight, you have to contribute.

"I still love to fight, don't get me wrong."

Commodore's return

For defenseman Mike Commodore, last night amounted to Act 1, Take 5 when he joined the Blue Jackets' lineup against the Dallas Stars.

"This time, hopefully, I'm going to get it right," Commodore said.

Since the start of training camp, Commodore has fought the flu, two groin pulls and a charley horse, making his season seem like a teenager learning to drive a stick shift: Start, stop. Start, stop.

The underlying issue, he believes, is that his offseason workout, though good for his long-term endurance, sapped him of his speed when he needs a quick, snap burst.

"I've done two-a-days the last few days, and I've done lots of work off the ice with (strength and conditioning coach) Barry Brennan," Commodore said. "It's only been a few days, but I can tell a difference already."

Hitchcock hopes the waiting for the "real" Commodore is finally over.

"Our hope is that he gets back to that other level, the level he was at last season," Hitchcock said. "We haven't seen that level yet for various reasons."

Hitchcock thinks the recent conditioning Commodore has undergone will serve him well the rest of the season.

"He's going to be in a much better position to absorb the minutes he needs to absorb for us," the coach said.

Slap shots

General manager Scott Howson said he has received one trade offer for left winger Nikita Filatov, who left earlier this week for Russia. Howson said he's not looking to trade Filatov, who has told the Jackets he will return for training camp next September. Center Sammy Pahlsson (elbow infection) was close to returning last night but was held out another game as a precaution. He could play Saturday at Nashville.

aportzline@dispatch.com