CBJ WINS PRESEASON OPENER, 4-1 🔥 Luca Del Bel Belluz, Ivan Fedotov & HC Dean Evason | Postgame Media

get back out there with the guys and, you know, play a game. Obviously, uh tough couple days, uh last couple ones, but uh yeah, it’s just fun to get back out there and play some hockey. What’s it like to have number 10 on your left wing out there? He’s a lot of fun to play with. Uh just even on the bench, he’s just a funny guy and he’s a character. So, he’s always keeping it light and uh yeah, he’s just a funny guy to be around and on the ice, he’s obviously a special player. His his brain is, you know, he navigates he navigates around the ice really well and uh it’s very helpful when he’s always in the right spots. So, uh, yeah, he’s awesome player. Is he learning more English or are you learning more Russian? How’s that working? I’m definitely not learning Russian, but he’s he’s he’s getting a little better. Okay. You were talked about bulking up a little bit, putting on some weight, feeling stronger. Did you notice that out there tonight? Yeah, I definitely feel stronger on my feet and a little faster. So, uh, yeah, putting a lot of work this summer. Uh, feel good on the ice. So, yeah, it’s been good. Well, goals aren’t everything obviously when you’re trying to do what you’re trying to do, make this team, but uh they don’t hurt either. Um it’s just like when you think about these games, um do you try not to think about the bigger picture? You just kind of think about the game. Yeah, I mean I’m just trying to go out there and show what I can do. Uh you know, obviously for them they want to see me play hard on pucks and win battles and, you know, skate hard and play with pace. So right there, I’m just trying to I’m trying to do that. And then obviously if the offense comes, great. And uh yeah. Thanks. Appreciate it. Thank you guys. Thank you. Thank you. We talked yesterday and you said you were excited to get out there. Uh did you feel comfortable? How did it feel to be back in a game situation? Uh so obviously it felt really good. So uh you know just like first game of preseason and uh like I said earlier I don’t want to put a lot of pressure on myself. just, you know, enjoy enjoy the process, have fun like when I get out from the ice. So, and that’s that’s what I did like tonight. And yeah, so felt felt really good. Uh the guys play well in front of me, play hard, you know, like uh made a lot of great block shots. So, they got me, I got to them. So, yeah, that’s all. As a goalender, I would imagine this time of year, you’re just trying to get into rhythm. you know, the game probably feels so fast when you first get out there. Did you could you feel it kind of slowing down as time went on? Uh yeah. Uh that’s good question. Yeah, because uh the preseason like you know the first game and everybody like uh trying like push yourself like as much as they can and uh it’s good pace, you know, like good uh um good speed like everything. So uh you just have to be ready you know like the game will come and uh uh they will play aggressive in front of you behind like everywhere. Uh so that’s that’s that’s where we did all the game like and we expanded there. What were your thoughts when you first learned that you had been traded? uh first first learned like uh it’s good question you know like yeah you just have to be ready for everything you know like and uh I learned like you know uh I got to have more patience so yeah you know like uh I had really good lesson like uh not long time ago and uh I understand right now so the most important thing like uh especially for the goalie because uh that’s unique position uh you have to uh has a have a lot of passion. So if you don’t have that so probably you will not successful in NHL and yeah that’s that’s that’s my the biggest point. Are you excited to to change teams? Is that a good thing? For sure. Uh uh you know like uh I appreciate for the flyers. They did a lot like for me uh and for my family especially uh when it was a tough time but yeah that’s part of the business for sure. I’m glad like be here and uh I knew Columbus. Yeah had interest like and uh it’s really good spot. So now I feel like after a couple really good days uh like one week uh I go when I came like yeah guys was uh were really welcoming and you know like yeah uh that’s awesome that’s what I need like you know just feel free you know like take a breathe and just get like the new starts here. How much did it help to have other Russians here especially couple of characters? That definitely for sure for sure it’s uh helped me a lot because you know they uh already a long time here and you know uh uh very good a lot of spots around or they can me uh you know like uh help me with everything if I will have any issues or problems or like questions and so uh yeah I know them like uh long time ago each other like we know each other really long time so Uh yeah, feel feel good. Yeah, they they were really welcoming uh the same like uh as other guys. So yeah, like I said, great feelings because yeah, I feel like right now I’m the right spot and probably I’m the right weight. Do you feel like you have played uh as well as you can play in the NHL yet? Have we seen the full uh performance from you? Uh tough to say like uh I think yeah I’m just still still uh still on my way. So yeah, it’s not like you know the higher uh or the the biggest like uh uh top like like or level for me. So I’m just, you know, like it’s halfway at the beginning and uh I feel feel all right because you know like like I said for the goalie if you don’t feel well or you like you know have some uh some like bad things or you know like something bother you too much. Yeah. that will be distract you of uh of the process like of so much important things where you where you have to keep your focus like uh for 100%. So yeah, like I said, great to be here and yeah, so it’s that’s important thing right now. Yeah, feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel com comfortful, feel free and ready get work. uh what did you think for the first game just in in general some thoughts on the game and and I guess in particular uh fetto and and how he looked at yeah you know things we got a lot of clips things were a little sloppy at times we had some you know some turnovers but um that you know we clipped already a pile just to we still got to play the right way but we um for the most part you know we did a lot a really good thing structurally. Um, blocked a lot of shots. I don’t know. I didn’t see the numbers and stuff. Obviously, they did as well. Um, but yeah, um, I thought I thought both goenders were real good. De, he just got here fed maybe a week ago. Have you had time to sit and chat with him and do you have a sense of how excited he is to have a maybe a new direction, a new spot to play? Yeah. No, we haven’t like actually sat down or meeting or whatever. Nikki obviously has brought him in and had a good chat with them and um I’ve just observed one um you know how he’s been around the guys. It’s not a like he he’s right ingrained with the group right away in the gym and and um and then what we’ve noticed andor made account of is is his work ethic. He’s uh he’s worked and you know that’s uh you know two obviously really good signs and then to see how he played the game tonight was real good too. I mean Luca Belaloo is someone who’s got a real chance here for you just he needs the thing about him is he need to get stronger and he seems like he’s getting incrementally stronger. Just how do you like the way that he’s handled that part of it? Yeah. all all young guys, you know, coming up. Obviously, we want them to get stronger immediately, but it takes some time, right? It takes some time to mature and it takes some time to um to do the work in the summer and um he’s he’s committed. Um we know he can play in the National Hockey League. We’ve seen it last year. Um you know, his his not only his skill set, his intelligence level is is really high. So, um yeah, he he’s did the work. He’s stronger. Um, you know, he’s bigger. Um, he’s going to give himself a great opportunity. You had challenged Donov during the offseason to uh get into a little bit better shape, three points tonight, but he seemed to play with an intensity and a speed out there that he really hadn’t before. What were your thoughts on him? Turn the puck over on uh their goal, but um besides that um yeah, which we corrected, tried to go cross ice and just inside the blue line there. Um but yeah, he’s the first time he came right into the room as soon as he got here and you know just I I we asked him are you in shape like before he even you know did a thing and he’s he’s like yeah and you could tell right and we told like I’ll be honest with you we told him you’re not going to play if you come not in good shape and and he did and he’s committed and obviously you you see um you know it’s early obviously it’s the first game but his um pace is real good um you know not only in the game here tonight but throughout practice and yeah it’s it’s exciting for us as an organization when you ask somebody to to do something and you know put the work in to do something regardless is you know like Bell getting stronger and doing that and then you know Ronnie it’s uh yeah he’s conducted himself extremely well setting himself up uh you know for the season. Going back to Dell Baloo really quick. Um he’s a guy that I mean you lose a number of de depth forwards to free agency or whatnot but then bring a number in right and he could be a guy that looks at that and you know I thought I was going to be on this team type of thing. is as a coach, are you how excited or or eager are you to kind of just see how he handles that as far as the old saying is you got to take somebody’s job or take a spot, right? Like we’re not going to give you anything. I mean, is that part of it in the preseason to I think Bel knows I Bel knows how in what we think of them, right? I mean, we’ve had enough uh um conversations and um you know, he is with us long enough to know how we play and how you know, we as a coaching staff in particular, you know, want him to play and conduct himself. And so, um regardless of what’s happened, I think he knows that, um, you know, we’re, you know, excited about, you know, how he plays the game and, um, you know, is, you know, what happens. Obviously, we don’t know here going forward, but he’s going to again give himself a a great opportunity to to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and that’s what we want out of each and every one of our guys that are here.

Luca Del Bel Belluz, Ivan Fedotov and Head Coach Dean Evason speak to the media after the Blue Jackets 4-1 preseason win over the St. Louis Blues.

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