Tortorella says Milano decision was 'unfair,' but necessary

Sonny Milano's play had dipped a little, but it wasn't the reason the Blue Jackets assigned the talented rookie forward to the Cleveland Monsters.
The reason was a numbers game that developed after three injured forwards returned to action for the Blue Jackets in the past two weeks. Rather than playing Milano limited minutes in a fourth-line role, a decision was made to let him play a bigger role and continue his development in the American Hockey League.
For now, anyway.
"I don't know if it's fair, quite honestly," coach John Tortorella said after practice Monday at Nationwide Arena. "Sonny and I had a good talk [Sunday]. Our management talked to him. I talked to him. These are tough decisions, but the makeup of our lines … I have a number of people that I think are struggling offensively, that I've got to get them in better offensive positions."

Columbus hosts the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday (7 p.m., FS-Ohio, Fox Sports Go, 97.1 FM, BlueJackets.com) in the first of two games against the Devils this week, in a home-and-home that concludes Friday in New Jersey.
As Tortorella mentioned, the Blue Jackets have several key players who just can't seem to get their offensive production going consistently - including captain Nick Foligno, right wing Cam Atkinson and right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Bjorkstrand played right wing on the fourth line the past couple games, in a checking role, but that's an odd fit for his thin frame and high-end playmaking ability. Milano's got more heft to him, but his skill set, like Bjorkstrand's, also makes him a better fit on an offensive-minded line.
The problem is there are only two of those, and all six forward sports on them are currently taken. Tortorella tried Milano at left wing on the fourth line earlier this season, and didn't like the results.
The line combinations based off practice Monday, if they remain for the game Tuesday, are a little more traditional.
Boone Jenner was moved from left wing of the second line to the fourth, after a tough sequence in the loss Saturday to the Capitals, when he was called for back-to-back holding penalties that led to a power-play goal.
Nick Foligno moved to the left side of the second line, after recently moving from center to the right wing. Alex Wennberg got back into the top six, centering the second line, while Brandon Dubinsky and Bjorkstrand joined Matt Calvert on the third line.
"The makeup of our lines, someone had to come out as far as an offensive guy, because I didn't want to play Bjorkstrand or Sonny on the fourth line … because it doesn't do them any good," Tortorella said. "I think I've taken Bjorky's game away a little bit, because I haven't put him in enough offensive situations."
Bjorkstrand has no goals and four assists in the past 12 games. Milano had no goals and five assists in his past 15 games. Milano had 10 points (five goals, five assists) overall, prior to his AHL assignment on Sunday.
"Sonny will be back," Tortorella said. He's going to be part of this team. I think his game has dipped a little bit. He agreed with me. I'm not so sure these decisions are fair, but they're decisions we have to make for [Tuesday] night's game, and we'll see where it goes from there."
Prior to Milano being sent to Cleveland, Tortorella played him at left wing on the third line for six games, including Saturday against the Capitals. He averaged around 15 minutes a game, and got time on the power play.
The third line, however, is the unit Calvert spent the most time with prior to his injury. Calvert, who scored a shorthanded goal Saturday in his first game back from a long injury absence, is also predominantly a left wing - like Milano.
"I just want him to continue to work on his game away from puck [with Cleveland], because he's done a really good job of that here," Tortorella said. "This isn't because of his play. It's because I put some lines together to try to help some people, to get [them] in offensive positions. Sonny was the odd-man out in my mind, and I wasn't going to put him on the fourth line."
Tortorella said the fourth line against the Devils will likely start out with Jenner at left wing, Lukas Sedlak at center and Tyler Motte at right wing.
"That's more of an identity on our fourth line," Tortorella said. "So, this is ever-[fluid] as we go through. We're going to try and get some guys opportunity in more offensive positions, and then we've got to make decisions. I truly believe Sonny's going to be a big part of this team, as we go through the season."
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"When 'Harry' makes a decision, he's going, and I think that's really important for both of those guys, not to overanalyze and over-read in a position that you do have to read," Tortorella said. "But make your decision quickly and go with it. Live with it, because everybody else is working off of that decision. That's what I liked about Carlsson. He wasn't in-between. He thought quicker and it made him play quicker."
Carlsson agreed, and credited his time with the Monsters.
"I felt I was [sharper] out there," he said. "I didn't try to force anything. I played more on instinct, and it feels like I knew before I got the puck, a little bit more what to do. I think that time in Cleveland was important for me to get it going a little bit."
"Funny how it works. I've had opportunities in the first 14 games, good chances, and then you come back after a month, you spin and fire, and it goes in," Calvert said. "That's hockey right there."
"Oh, face-offs are tough," Dubois said. "I'm still working on them, but they're tough. I'm taking a lot of [offensive] zone face-offs right now, so a lot of times I'm against good centermen. I'm working really hard to get better at it. That's one of the biggest areas of my game right now that I'm not happy with, but I work hard in practice and I have to keep improving on it."
Dubois said he's working with veteran center Brandon Dubinsky on face-off techniques and cheats that are still largely uncalled. Dubinsky leads the Jackets with a 51.8 percent success rate on face-offs.
"There's always going to be cheating on face-offs," Dubois said. "You've just got to learn how to cheat. Sometimes you get kicked out. I told [Anderson] he might have to take a couple face-offs. It's all about experience too. You'll learn how you can cheat, and stuff like that, but right now I just have to be [better] on face-offs."
He's also studying opposing centers, while also staying true to his age.
"We have the sheet that says their face-off percentage and everything, but … I play 'NHL' a lot on my Xbox," Dubois said. "So, I know a lot of guys in this league, a lot of the centers in this league."
"You guys know Jarmo. He's a hard-nosed Finn. I think we're both hard-headed at certain times, and I think that's a good quality that he has."