Columbus Blue Jackets left-winger Scott Hartnell wasn’t happy with being a healthy scratch Friday night, but he understood.
Speaking with Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, the 33-year-old former all-star, let it be known he was ready to make an impact upon his return Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers, the team he played seven seasons with.
“My game wasn’t where it needed to be for us to be winning,” he said. “I was a little upset, a little mad, a lot of feelings, it’s in the past now and now is my chance to have a big game in Philly.
“Obviously, I love playing here.”
Hartnell expects to do what he does best, which is finding the front of the net. He scored 28 goals last season and is on pace to do the same this year, though he has just one in his last eight games and is pointless in his last four.
“It will be fun here tonight. I’m excited to get under their skin, get towards Mason, get in his crease,” said Hartnell. “That’s one thing we’re not doing a great job (of). Our power play didn’t have any net presence.
“I’m going to try to be there as much as I can, be a nuisance.”
Columbus coach John Tortorella, who sat Hartnell for “an accumulation of his play and of his lack of discipline“, was a little less diplomatic when describing how Hartnell felt about being benched, and hasn’t spoken to the forward about tonight’s return.
“Scotty’s pissed. He was sat out and he’s pissed,” Tortorella said. “I haven’t said one word to him. I put the lineup on the board. He knows he’s in. I don’t need to talk to him about that.”
The decision to sit the two-time 30 goal scorer, and eight-time 20 goal scorer, did not have the desired effect. The Blue Jackets lost in a shootout Friday to the Florida Panthers, prompting some harsh words from Tortorella.
“I don’t understand how we can disrespect an opponent when we’re looking up at all 29 teams,” he said.
