There’s the animosity and history between the teams, the 2014 playoff series, the often-boisterous contingent of Penguins fans that make the trek to Nationwide Arena, and just the general sense of anticipation that comes from playing one of your rivals.
While that may be the case inside the Blue Jackets and Penguins dressing rooms, John Tortorella wasn’t letting it on this morning.
“I know you guys (the media) want to turn it into this guy versus that guy, but we’re preparing for this game as we always prepare,” Tortorella said. “I like the way our guys have handled themselves through a time when we’re looking up at a lot of teams.