During the team's best season in franchise history last year, one of the Blue Jackets' weapons gained the spotlight: their conditioning. The team felt fresh and full of energy through the full 60 minutes of a game, and it showed. They earned a 33-1-3 record when leading at the start of the third period.
As this year's training camp gets underway with grueling on-ice testing, and players' legs are left heavy from effort, it's a time to remember that this work goes into creating as much of a conditioning edge as possible.
"I think when you get against a team and you know you've worked harder than them, your expectation is to beat them every time," defenseman Ryan Murray said. "Even in little situations, in corners or in a race to a puck, it makes you angry if you don't win the battles. You know you've worked harder, so you believe you should win every time."
Heavy conditioning during camp plays key role during regular season
For the Blue Jackets, knowing the demands of John Tortorella's tests and skating schedule means you put that much more work into being ready come September