BOSTON -- When some athletes are mired in slumps, they will say numbers don't concern them. The logic, flawed or otherwise, is that statistics don't always tell the whole story.

Blue Jackets defenseman Jan Hejda doesn't buy that line of thinking. Maybe he should -- he might sleep more soundly.

"I wake up every morning thinking about it," Hejda said. "What is it now, a minus-11? It really bothers me."

The plus-minus rating is a point of pride for a defenseman, especially one who was a plus-43 in his first two seasons with the Jackets. Hejda, like many of his teammates, is groping for answers in a disappointing season.

After a bright start, he suffered a sprained knee Oct. 13 and hasn't been nearly as effective. Although healthy, he appears slower and has made some uncharacteristic mistakes, like a giveaway in the opening minutes of a 4-1 loss to St. Louis on Jan. 12.

There are mitigating factors, which include multiple defensive partners, porous goaltending and poor puck management by teammates. In his first two seasons, Hejda had one primary partner, Adam Foote in 2007-08 and Mike Commodore in 2008-09. Hejda isn't one for making excuses, however.

"When things go well, you feel like you can defend anything," he said. "Right now, I just feel bad. I feel like I have to try to do everything on the ice, and sometimes I'm trying to do too much."

No net gains

Right winger Jake Voracek is caught in his longest goal-scoring drought of his brief NHL career. He entered last night's game having gone 19 games without a goal.

His two seasons have been marked by protracted skids. Three times he has gone 14 games without a goal and ended last regular season in an 18-game dry spell.

"The same thing happened in juniors," Voracek said. "It's hard to explain, you just have to stay patient, the goals are going to come."

Voracek has contributed eight assists in the current funk but has registered just three shots in the past five games.

Hitchcock, however, has not been displeased by Voracek's effort. His 20 assists rank him fourth on the team.

"It's hard to complain about his play," Hitchcock said. "For a 20-year-old kid to play this well in the NHL is pretty impressive. Other than not finishing the chances he creates, and that's something players go through, I like the way he's playing."

Slap shots

Forward Andrew Murray and defenseman Marc Methot (illness) were scratched last night. The Jackets have played 29 road games, the most in the league. The Jackets will practice this afternoon in Columbus before flying to Minnesota.

treed@dispatch.com