NHL PLAYOFFS

As general manager Scott Howson remade the Blue Jackets' roster, the significant players he added, with few exceptions, shared two characteristics: size and playoff experience. R.J. Umberger. Raffi Torres. Fedor Tyutin. Mike Commodore. Antoine Vermette. Each had won playoff rounds. None had lost his nerve under postseason pressure. The composition of his team led coach Ken Hitchcock to make this observation in late February: \ \ "If we can make it to the dance, we've got the kind of team that can lean on you. We can make it hard on you in a playoff series." The Blue Jackets will put Howson's construction and Hitchcock's theory to the test against the Detroit Red Wings, starting Thursday, in an opening-round Western Conference series. The Jackets are a big team, right down to 6-foot-4 rookie goaltender Steve Mason. Although they can't match the Red Wings' skill or Stanley Cup pedigree, the Jackets hope that their physical style and competitive nature can wear on the defending champs. In the regular-season series, which the teams split 3-3, the Jackets were most effective when their forecheck hemmed the Red Wings deep and created turnovers. "It's not about running guys over or dropping the gloves," Commodore said. "Physical Hockey at this time of year means pursuing the puck. When a guy like (Detroit defenseman Nicklas) Lidstrom has the puck, you have to get after him. It's not about knocking him into the fifth row, it's just about getting on the puck and getting on his hands and making him make a play before he wants to ... "The work you put in in the first couple of games might not feel like it's doing much, but if the series stretches into six or seven games, it could pay dividends." Commodore helped Calgary reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004 by beating the Red Wings in the second round. His former team and current one are similar in build and constitution. Jackets defensemen Commodore, Tyutin and Jan Hejda are used to lots of ice time, and their games translate well to the postseason, where players can focus on the same matchups in each game. "We can bring a team with a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience and a lot of giddyup," Hithcock said yesterday. Captain Rick Nash will make his postseason debut Thursday, but he has had success against the Red Wings with 37 points in 38 career games. His mix of size (6-4, 218 pounds), skill and strength enabled him to record two hat tricks against Detroit this season. Other than Jason Williams and Kristian Huselius, the Jackets are a big bunch up front. "You want big bodies for the playoffs and guys that can handle the grind," said Umberger, who scored 10 playoff goals last season for Philadelphia. "The playoffs are hard. They are draining. You would like to think this team is built for that." Of course, the Red Wings have the ability to neutralize any opponent with precision puck movement and a tenacious approach. They overwhelmed the Jackets in their last meeting, a 4-0 victory in Nationwide Arena on March 15, as the Red Wings controlled the neutral zone and forced turnovers, leading to odd-man scoring chances. The Jackets must make the Red Wings consistently travel 200 feet for scoring chances or the series might be over before they feel the slightest bit fatigued. "The only way we're going to beat them is not to fall into their style," Nash said. "We've got to play our style ... keep the puck deep. That's the only way we're going to have a chance." Hitchcock does not believe his players will commit the mistakes frequently made by new playoff participants. Nine regulars have played at least 20 postseason games. "The franchise is less experienced than the players are," Hitchcock said. "We have guys who have been through this before." treed@dispatch.com