Dubois looks to ‘be better’ after seeing minutes cut Thursday night

On one subject, there seems to be total agreement between Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella and Pierre-Luc Dubois. 

After the center skated just five shifts and earned 3:55 of ice time in the team’s 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday night, the consensus is Dubois is capable of more than what he’s shown so far on this young season. 

“I definitely have to be better,” said Dubois, who has one goal and zero assists as well as a minus-2 rating through the first five games of the season. “I think as hockey players, we all want to be out there, we all want to able to help the team by making a difference. I can acknowledge that I can be better. I can be a better player.

“I haven’t had the start of the season that I wanted. Like I said, as a hockey player, it’s in us to want to help the team win and be out there and help our teammates.” 

Video: PLD checks in with the media.

Dubois was unable to do that through the last 44:36 of regulation plus overtime as the Blue Jackets and Lightning battled. Tortorella instead chose to run with 11 forwards, a decision he described as an easy one postgame after watching Dubois’ play throughout the first period. 

“It’s not difficult for me,” Tortorella said. “I got to call them as I see them. … I just go with what I see, and we’ll go from there. I really don’t make decisions as far as minutes. It’s up to the player to show me. 

“If there’s one thing I’m pretty easy to read on, it’s the minutes. You are going to get out there if you play the proper way. You’re going to get back out there. The onus is on the players, all players, not just the player we’re talking about here that sat. It’s all the players. I’m not a hard guy to read as far as that is concerned.” 

Speaking Friday, Tortorella further elaborated that the 22-year-old Dubois – whom Tortorella acknowledged asked for a trade before training camp after signing a two-year contract extension on New Year’s Eve — was not held out Thursday only because of what transpired in that game. 

“My job — and I think it’s a very important one, and I take it very seriously — is to monitor attitude, effort, what type of teammate are you, will you play under a team concept, et cerera,” Tortorella said. “I think it’s really important with today’s athlete that we watch that daily, and I do. I do. As I said last night, the spotlight is on here because of the situation that arose when camp started. I don’t think it’s really a big deal as far as the spotlight because it doesn’t change how I go about that part of it. He is another player in a 23-man roster that I have to watch.  

Video: Torts checks in with the media.

“I don’t care how much money you make. I don’t care where you were drafted, free agent, fourth line, first line. It does not matter to me. We live and die on our team concept. We live and die playing as a team. And if I don’t think someone is doing that, and it continues — he doesn’t get benched for one shift last night. This has eroded, and it just kept eroding in the first five games. 

“I think a lot of people are putting a bigger deal on it because of the extenuating circumstances with it. You guys can do that. I am just coaching athletes, and I will not allow our standard of play and our culture and how we go about our business here to change.” 

Later, Dubois was asked if he felt he was giving full effort during the opening five games of the season. 

“I think it’s my all-around game,” he said. “I think that I felt good in camp, to be honest, and then I think it’s a mixture of everything — offense, defense, forechecking, backchecking. I think that I hold myself to a high standard. I know what level I can play at. There’s not a lot right now that I am satisfied with. I know I can take a step up in every aspect of my game.” 

Dubois was back on the ice at noon today as the Blue Jackets held a half-hour optional practice ahead of the team’s 2 p.m. game Saturday against Tampa Bay. Tortorella said he was unsure as of Friday afternoon what the lineup will look like and whether Dubois will be a part of it, with the final decision to be made Saturday morning. 

Dubois, the team’s first-round pick at No. 3 overall in the 2016 draft, is yet to miss a game in his NHL career, skating in 239 consecutive contests. He has been the team’s No. 1 center each of the past two seasons, posting 20 goals as a rookie in 2017-18, adding 27 more in his second year and then leading the team with 49 points in last year’s shortened season. He also had 10 points in 10 postseason games a year ago, including a hat trick in a comeback win over Toronto in Game 3 of the qualifying series. 

In all, he has 66 goals and 159 points in his three-plus season career. Whenever he gets back on the ice to try to add to that, Dubois said he will bring his best. 

“I hold myself to a high standard, and I haven’t played to the level I know I can play,” Dubois said. “I can do a lot more out there. Whenever the next game is, I have to step up my game. I know it. I’m ready.” 

Tortorella said he was happy with his team’s reaction last night in battling back to earn the point against Tampa Bay and doesn’t expect the situation with Dubois to linger. 

“Our team can handle this situation,” the head coach said.  

“We’re just going to play,” captain Nick Foligno added after Thursday’s game. “We need to get going (as a team). That’s more important than anything else.”