"Blue Jackets left winger Kristian Huselius used to avoid Ken Hitchcock's doghouse the same way he curled away from defenders whenever he carried the puck inside the blue line. He oddly never came to blows with his old-school, check-happy former coach.

"I think I was only on the third line maybe two or three games the entire time he was here," Huselius said.

So how might Huselius fit in with the newfangled, high-flying system being put into place by new coach Scott Arniel? It would seem to be a much better match.

Last night, Huselius had three assists and a plus-2 rating in a 5-4 exhibition loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Nationwide Arena. He was the Blue Jackets' best supporting actor of the game, setting up all three goals by prospect Tomas Kubalik in his NHL debut.

"(Huselius) does an awful lot of really good things out there. He makes plays," Arniel said. "There are some things I'd like to talk to him about, certain areas of his game, but I liked what I saw.It's the first time I've watched him play (from the bench), and it's the first time he's had me behind the bench. There are little things we'll work out."

Arniel wouldn't specify what part of Huselius' game he'd like to temper, but last night was quintessential Huselius.

At even strength, he curled around with the puck, carried it wide and wended his way through tight spaces. At times, he treats a coach's system as a riffing jazz artist uses sheet music."