Tortorella inspired by Werenski in loss to Penguins

Nothing to worry about it.

Despite dropping Game 1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Columbus Blue Jackets liked a lot about their game in the series opener.

The Penguins took the contest 3-1, despite being outshot 32-29. It was all Columbus in the first period, as the Blue Jackets put up 16 shots to the Penguins' three.

Things went the opposite way in the middle frame, with the Penguins leading the shot margin 16-4.

"I'm not worried about the team. This is why it's a series," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch after the loss. "We had some good minutes, even in the second period. I'm encourage. We lose the game, but I thought we did some good things. We'll get ready for Game 2."

The coach praised young defenseman Zach Werenski. The rookie blue-liner appeared in his first playoff game, leading all Columbus defenders with six shots. He finished third on the team with 25:19 in ice time.

"What can you say about it? He hasn't played ... a 19-year-old kid ... We lose the game, (but) I thought he put on a show," Tortorella said. "His determination ... I hope it rubs off on other people on our team. That was inspiring to me to see what he can do."

The Penguins carried a 3-0 lead into the third period, where Blue Jackets forward Matt Calvert broke the shutout bid by Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury was a late start for the game after Matt Murray sustained a lower-body injury in the pregame warmup. But the last minute change didn't throw the Blue Jackets for a loop.

"(Fleury has) been a starter in this league a long time and he's won a Stanley Cup," said Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky. "It wasn't like we were licking our chops and making a big deal about it."

The second game of the series comes Friday in Pittsburgh.

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