from Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch,

Before the game, coach John Tortorella put it all in perspective.

“Just get it over with,” Tortorella said. “I’m honest. I want to get it over with. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking about next year and camp. It doesn’t stop us from preparing as we always do (for the Blackhawks). We’re going to play the right play, but it means squat. I want to get into something with meaning.”

That is refreshing, to have someone in the Blue Jackets organization who calls squat squat. In so many years — especially last year — meaningless games were celebrated as prime fertilizer for a future yield. Squat by any other name is still squat.

Tortorella was asked about whether it would be beneficial to go out with a victory over the mighty Blackhawks in the last game of the season. Tortorella smirk-frowned and he built on his theme.

“It’s a bunch of crap,” he said. “It doesn’t mean squat. If we beat them tonight, who cares? We want to play right, but two days down the road it means nothing. We’ll be watching the playoffs, licking our chops, wishing we were there.

“I hope the players understand the feeling we have right now so we don’t get into this feeling again. You want me rosy and positive up here? No. It sucks being in this situation, finishing up the season in the first week of April. That’s not what we’re supposed to be doing.”

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