in Game 2<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI think you saw it with [Viktor Arvidsson] had probably like a breakaway every game,\u201d said Reichel. \u201cAnd then that\u2019s playing good defensively and then you try to create rushes off the turnovers from there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nReichel said working hard in practice with the other healthy scratches is how he stays game ready.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIf you don\u2019t play, you\u2019ve got to be mentally ready to play the next game or even in practice. You try to work hard so you stay in shape for the next one,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what I feel like we all did, Steever, Mikey, and [defenseman Henri Jokiharju], I think we battled hard if we didn\u2019t play and try to stay ready.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nSturm was adamant that Hagens hasn\u2019t been shelved for the rest of the playoffs. He skated on a line with Eyssimont and Steeves and rotated in on the second power-play unit with Reichel.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cListen, James didn\u2019t do anything wrong. Nothing. This kid is 19 years old, don\u2019t forget. I started as a scratch in my first career playoff. Maybe that\u2019s in my mind, too,\u201d said Sturm. \u201cHe did more than I even thought, coming in. Tremendous job. Tremendous player. We\u2019re going to have a great player.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nGrowing pains are part of the process.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s a tough league. Going into the last stretch and playing in the playoffs, consistency is a big thing. It\u2019s hard,\u201d said Sturm. \u201cAgain, we take a breather and we\u2019re going to use him again in the near future. But I thought it was the right thing to do to take a breath, not just for him but also from you guys [in the the media]. I think it\u2019s better for the kid and for us as a team. But I want to make sure [everyone knows] this kid didn\u2019t do anything wrong. I\u2019m very happy with where he\u2019s at.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nSturm didn\u2019t fully commit to the Harris change, saying there were some blue liners banged up, but everyone practiced fully during the 30-minute session, so it seems likely the Haverhill native will be good to go.<\/span><\/p>\nSimilar to Reichel, Harris pointed to his last few games he got in as key to his preparation and confidence. The game in Columbus had a playoff-like feel as the Blue Jackets were battling for a postseason invite that ultimately didn\u2019t come.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI thought it was really good, especially that game in Columbus where we won and we had a lot of our guys out and took a lot of confidence personally from that, but also as a team, right?,\u201d said Harris, who paired with Lindholm on April 4 against the Lightning<\/a>. \u201cWhen you have your big boys out of the lineup, other guys need to step up and it\u2019s great to be out there, right? That\u2019s why I play is to play in games and be in moments like this. So definitely took a lot of confidence from [those games].\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n
\nJim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @globejimmcbride<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n