" A Blue Jackets season that many consider over has one month remaining.

The team's top two leaders said yesterday that the final 15 games cannot pass without a sense of relevance and pride.

With fan unrest growing and the Jackets reeling from a 6-0 loss Monday in Los Angeles, Rick Nash and R.J. Umberger said they are taking it upon themselves to promote the importance of the season's final weeks regardless of the standings.

"Guys are playing for a lot of different reasons, but I've got to make sure these guys are playing for the pride of the city," said Nash, the team captain. "They can't just worry about personal stats and that. We are trying to build a fan base and maintain a fan base, and to do that we need them excite them. I've got to get that point across to the team."

Nash sat out last night's game against the Anaheim Ducks because of a lower-body injury but hopes to return within the next few days. He said he planned to address the team, which had lost five straight games and was embarrassed in Los Angeles."