"Defensive minded" can be a four-letter word.
John Tortorella doesn't want anyone – especially his players – thinking that an adjusted style of play should mean scaling back in the offensive zone.
There's a belief in hockey that "checking" teams don't score, when in fact, it's the opposite; teams that work to get the puck back often have the puck far more than their opponents, leading to more possession and scoring chances. You'll find that the NHL's best possession teams are really good at retrieving it when they don't have it, which is one of the principles Tortorella wants the Blue Jackets to be mindful of.
With a depleted lineup and fewer opportunities to be risky, he wants them to start their offense in the defensive zone by limiting their time defending and moving the puck up the ice. It doesn't mean sitting back and waiting, it means getting the puck back, helping your goalie and then generating offense.
"Just because we're trying to concentrate on cutting our chances (against) down should not affect the offense," Tortorella said. "I know that's what people like to do because we've had a discussion as far as changing a little how we're playing with some of the people out of the lineup. If we're concentrating away from the puck, we'll have the puck more.
"We had the puck a ton against Colorado – we just didn't develop enough offense."
The Blue Jackets had nearly 55 percent of 5-on-5 shot attempts in Colorado on Thursday, and they had more scoring chances than the Avalanche. So their approach (on the whole) isn't that much different, merely that their offense is going to be a bit more laborious than it was earlier in the season.
"This isn't a big change. It's just an awareness," Tortorella said. "It's an awareness of, and I don't wanna talk about it much, but because of some of the bodies that we have out, we have to concentrate on being aware away from the puck."
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
