Here are some extra comments from Blues players B.J. Crombeen and Cam Janssen along with Columbus' R.J. Umberger regarding tonight's matchup against Columbus:
CROMBEEN
That last game got kind of chippy, as games like that do. Do you think this game, there will be some parameters set early?
Any time you play a divisional opponent, it's usually a pretty physical game anyway. Any time the game gets out of control like that or the score gets run up, there's usually some chippiness to the game. I don't think we'll come out of the gates and have a huge brawl or anything like that. But any time we play them, it's usually a physical, hard-fought game. We're just focused on coming in and making sure we play a good game and make sure we take care of business.
You're not looking for tomorrow to get chippy?
No, I don't think so. I think you have to go into each game with the mentality that we're going to play our game, we're going to play hard, we're going to play for 60. You can't go into games looking for retribution for the last game because you can put yourself behind the Eight-ball pretty quick if you start doing that. It's just a matter of playing hard and sticking together and making sure we take care of business.
Have there been times in a game where you do that just to set a tone?
There's definitely times where you need things like that. It's whether how we've been doing lately or whether it's a certain team we're playing that likes to push teams around. There's different things where definitely the tone needs to be set early. For us right now, the biggest thing is to make sure we're ready to play tomorrow. When we're at our best, we're playing physical, we're playing hard and we're finishing our checks. That can lead to all sorts of stuff.
Is that sort of stuff something you have to get a feel for?
I think you definitely play the game first and you get a feel for it. Anyone who plays a physical game knows when it's time or when something needs to be done. I think that's the mindset you take into games. If you start looking for things, being stupid right off the top of things, you could be on the penalty kill and you could be behind early.
If they push, you've got to push back, right?
Yeah. It doesn't matter what team you're playing. We have a mindset on our team that we do that with any team, whether we won the last game 8-1 or we lost the last game 8-1. I don't think that is relavent. It's just a matter of playing our game and sticking with it.
JANSSEN
Is it any different if you lose to them 2-1? Does 8-1 mean a little more?
Absolutely. If it was a close game all game and they pop one in at the end, yeah it's a horrible feeling; don't get me wrong. But to get embarrassed like that and just get absolutely walked on all game and to have controversy in the middle of it, yeah, how can you not think about it? Of course! If I didn't have any competitive edge to me whatsoever, then I'd just look it off. I've been thinking about this for a while. You've got to take it game by game, don't get me wrong. We're going to be competiting against these guys. We're going to be battling each other all year. We're not going to accept that. ... We had a good win last time in Vancouver and we're feeling pretty good knowing we can get our game back. We're ready. It's going to be a rock-em, sock-em game tomorrow night and I'm ready to play it.
Anything to the Soccergate incident that carries any merit for tomorrow? Was that blown our of proportion?
He (Umberger) was just trying to warm up. ... I don't know what to say on that.
Do you feel like he may have disrespected you guys?
I think he was just trying to warm up. He was just mad we were in his way and that's understandable, but you can go about that in a different manner. You go about that in a different way. I wouldn't have approached it like that. I would have tried to be funny and witty and said something goofy and made the guys laugh instead. ... It was a funny situation. I thought it was just comical.
Do you think that whole incident may have affected the way you guys played that night?
I don't know. Something went on that game. But when it comes to that, I don't think so. I think that was more just humor. I think it may have affected him. He went out and had a goodgame that game. I think he was mad his teammates didn't back him up. I guess he wanted to prove something to his teammates.
UMBERGER
Where will he do his pre-game run?
Outside, I guess.
Do you expect another pre-warm-up dust-up?
Hopefully not. Hopefully security is good and it's done in a professional manner.
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