Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson has a saying for times like this: "Struggle and emerge."

No doubt about it, the Blue Jackets are struggling. Heading into tonight's game against the St. Louis Blues in Nationwide Arena, the Jackets have lost five straight games, their longest skid since the end of the 2007-08 season.

As for how they're going to get out of this grip, Howson signaled yesterday that the help will not come from his office. Not right now, anyway.

He continues to talk with GMs around the NHL -- that's a normal course of his job -- but he's not actively pursuing a "shake-up" trade, and he's not close to making a move.

"I think the solution is in our (dressing) room," Howson said. "I believe in the group that's in there.

"It always comes back to character, because people with character always figure it out. They struggle and emerge. People with character always find a way."

The Blue Jackets have found several different ways to lose lately, including a 4-3 shootout loss to Calgary on Saturday. In that game, they gave up a 3-1 lead in the final six minutes of regulation.

Strangely, in all five games during the current skid, the Blue Jackets have at some point held a lead.

In other words, targeting a specific area of the Blue Jackets roster that needs "fixed" is not easy.

"Our team has struggled," Howson said. "It's not one person. It's not one age group. It's not one position on the ice. It's a team.

"To be honest, I thought our record was better than our performance early in the season. And we're paying a bit for it now."

On Nov. 19, after a 4-1 win in Dallas, the Blue Jackets were 12-6-2, fifth in the Western Conference. It might have been their most decisive victory of the season.

As of today, the Jackets are 12-9-4, 11th in the conference.

If the Blue Jackets lose tonight, it'll be the club's longest losing streak since an eight-game string in November 2006 that coincided with the firing of Gerard Gallant and, eventually, the hiring of coach Ken Hitchcock.

Hitchcock seemed delighted by Howson's stance. Not only does he believe the Blue Jackets can win with the current roster, but he's convinced these are necessary growing pains for the NHL's youngest team.

"I agree with Scott 100 percent," Hitchcock said. "This is the building of accountability. You find out a lot about players when you're right on the edge of winning and losing.

"This is how you build character and chemistry in a room. When you're in this situation you're really forced to stick together, and that builds a bond."

So what has to change?

Hitchcock has been jumbling forward lines all season, not in an effort to create more scoring but to find trios who can manage the puck and avoid the glaring turnovers that have plagued the Blue Jackets in the first 25 games.

There are problems on both ends of the ice, however.

Curiously, the top defensive pair from last season -- Jan Hejda and Mike Commodore -- have not played a single game together this season, mostly because Commodore is still getting up to speed after a wave of injuries.

Hitchcock said he's not considering putting the two back together because Hejda and Rostislav Klesla "are playing like a really good pair right now."

The Blue Jackets need better goaltending, too. Steve Mason's save percentage (.890) is 43rd in the NHL, ahead of only Toronto's Vesa Toskala (.865).

"We need more from everybody," Hitchcock said. "That's the message right now. We're living on a fine line, and we have to get off of that line."

aportzline@dispatch.com