Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson cautioned that it has only been two games under interim coach Claude Noel.

But he acknowledged witnessing an impressive transformation in the club in wins over Dallas and Buffalo. The 4-0 victory over the Sabres on Saturday in Nationwide Arena was the Blue Jackets' largest margin of victory this season.

"I just like the enthusiasm we've played with, the energy we've shown," Howson said. "You never know what you're going to get when you make such a dramatic change as we made. Sometimes your team flattens out for a couple of games, and sometimes you get a boost, like we've gotten."

So far, Noel's approach seems to be the polar opposite of Hitchcock's.

On Saturday, defensemen Milan Jurcina and Kris Russell led the club in ice time. Under Hitchcock, those two were on the third pair -- when Jurcina wasn't a healthy scratch.

Meanwhile, second-year players Jake Voracek (three assists) and Derick Brassard (one assist) appear to have had a burden lifted from their shoulders.

It boils down to this: Rather than running from difficult matchups involving young players, Noel is leaning on the youngsters in all situations and scores.

"I didn't know about 'joy' and 'free the mind' and all the other phrases he's grown found of using," Howson said, "I just knew that he was a good coach who has had tremendous success at the AHL level. It was more his track record and the people I know who knew him well along the way."

Noel said he's still shaking the rust off his game-calling skills. It had been almost three years since he had to keep an eye on matching up lines, avoiding mismatches, etc.

"It'll come quicker rather than later," Noel said. "I haven't been that happy with myself, frankly, but it'll get better. The fact that Russ and Jurcina played so many minutes that goes to show you how good (assistant coach) Gordy Murphy is. He puts the defensive pairs out, and so far now, those minutes have changed a lot for some players."

Noel was especially impressed with Russell, who carried the puck all over the ice and challenged the Sabres to keep up.

"Worry is the right word," Noel said. "You want them to worry about (him). We need maybe one more of that type of player, a guy with that dynamic, in the future."

Umberger had enough

Winger R.J. Umberger had his second fighting major of the season early in the third period against Buffalo's Drew Stafford.

"Earlier in the game we hit each other a couple of times, and I thought there were a couple cheap shots in there from him," Umberger said. "I asked him to fight (on our first shift of the third period) and he didn't want to. Next shift, we were out again and he said, 'Let's do it' after he gave me a cheap shot to start it. It was overdue."

Umberger landed more punches than Stafford, but Stafford landed the biggest punch, a heavy right that bloodied Umberger's left ear.

"He's a strong guy," Umberger said. "He did well."

Umberger has seven career NHL fights, five of them in the past two seasons with the Blue Jackets.

The freeze is coming

Howson said "it was pretty quiet this weekend" on the trade front, but that could change this week.

On Friday, NHL rosters freeze for 16 days to prevent players being moved during the Winter Olympics. The freeze lifts Feb. 28, leaving clubs only three days to swing deals before the March 3 trade deadline.

At some point this week, Howson will likely ask left winger Fredrik Modin to lift his no-trade clause so that he has the Olympic break to discuss trades.

Slap shots

Defenseman Fedor Tyutin (bruised left knee) is likely to return Wednesday against San Jose. He missed the Buffalo game after being struck by a puck late in the previous game. Defenseman Rostislav Klesla (abdomen, groin) will not return until after the Olympic break. "He hasn't had a setback," Howson said, "He's just sorer than the original prognosis, which was maybe a little aggressive." Klesla has been out since Nov. 30. The Blue Jackets, who have three days between games for only the second time since Nov. 10, will practice at 10:30 a.m. today.

aportzline@dispatch.com