For the first time since February 2012, the Columbus Blue Jackets have lost by five goals twice in the same week. As would be anticipated after a loss like this, John Tortorella and the players kept it brief. Here is their reaction.
John Tortorella
On the game: "It's a hard one to swallow."
On forward play: "We looked a little paralyzed, for what reason I don't know."
On whether this is a "throw away the tape" game: "No no no, we just have to get better. Got to put some skin on ourselves here, and take it right in the chin like we did tonight. It's one tick in the loss column. We've got to take it that way, grow up a little bit, and try to get better as a hockey club."
On whether the team quit in the third period: "I'm not gonna sit here and say 'We're gonna do this, this, we're gonna take that guy out of the lineup, bench him'. That's not gonna happen."
On the recent string of odd-man rushes allowed by the Blue Jackets: "We've been one of the better teams in the league this year as far as not giving them up. So that's part of our problem.
"Half the time when you guys ask the questions, I'm just trying to answer the questions and get away from you. We'll have our conversations as a team, and go about our business trying to be a better team. There's nothing I can give you guys that's going to be earth shattering."
Nick Foligno
On the game: "Just the lack of emotion, lack of care, I mean, we looked careless with the puck. Almost like deer caught in headlights tonight."
On trying to dictate play: "We failed miserably there."
Pierre-Luc Dubois
On why the Blue Jackets came out flat: "I don't think we had a lot of emotion tonight. We were fumbling pucks, easy pucks, easy break-outs. I don't think we supported ourselves a lot. I think a lot of the times it was one or two guys, and three guys back.
"It's frustrating to lose, it's even more frustrating to lose when you know you didn't do anything right."
On his fight: "I was trying to defend myself. I'm not gonna go into the play or anything, but I like to play hard and stuff like that happens."
Josh Anderson
On how to respond after a loss like this: "Go back to work. Practice tomorrow, and then like you said we've got a tough team coming into town, Toronto Maple Leafs."
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