Hopefully, the Blue Jackets enjoyed their eight-day break for the Olympics.

When the non-Olympians on the club return to practice at 2:01 p.m. today - one minute after the NHL's moratorium on team-sponsored activity is lifted - interim coach Claude Noel will take a "woodshed" approach to the proceedings.

"Oh, it'll be tough," Noel said. "I don't want to kill them. I don't want to have 12 pulled groins and only six players available for (March 2) when we play against Vancouver.

"But it's not going to be fun for a lot of them. Normally a long practice for me is an hour and 15 minutes. If it takes longer than that, it'll be because we're not able to carry the pace. So it could take two hours for me to get out of them what I need to get."

To this point, the Blue Jackets have only hinted that conditioning is one of the reasons behind the club's disappointing performance this season.

The Blue Jackets are nine points out of the playoffs with 19 games remaining, a virtually impossible gap to close.

Yesterday, Noel - who is 3-1-1 since taking over from Ken Hitchcock on Feb.3 - took off the gloves. The next six days of practice, he said, will be treated like training camp, part 2.

"As a team, I want us to be where we were before (the Olympic break), only in better shape," Noel said. "I won't know where the players are going to be conditioning-wise when we get back together (today), but I do know where we were before this little break we've had, and it was marginal at best.

"I'd say it was maybe 3 out of 10. And I'm in a good mood right now, saying this."

Last summer, Blue Jackets players were trusted more than in recent summers. They were given an off-season program by strength and conditioning coach Barry Brennan, but also allowed to seek their own programs. The young players did not stay in Columbus to work out, and Brennan did not travel as much to check in on players.

Clearly, the plan did not work.

The Blue Jackets have lost eight games in which they've led after two periods, tied with St. Louis for most in the NHL. Also, the Jackets have been a outscored 66-50 in the third period, a 16-goal difference that's third-worst in the NHL.

"I know what I want, I'm just not sure how long a time frame it will take to get it," Noel said. "Before we play Vancouver, every day will be about pace. I'll get the pace, and you'll see more pace as this week goes along."

Rusty ready?

It was unclear last night if defenseman Rostislav Klesla - out since late November with torn abdominal muscles - would join the club for practice today. But he's getting close.

Klesla was expected to play before the Olympic break, but he wasn't ready.

"It was too aggressive a timeline for him," Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson said. "There was no setback with surgery. It's just taking more time."

A third look

Blue Jackets officials expect Reebok to present them with a "prototype" third jersey in the coming weeks. If all goes as planned, look for the new sweater to be unveiled in November.

aportzline@dispatch.com