The Blue Jackets will scratch veteran winger Scott Hartnell tonight, one of four lineup changes coach John Tortorella is making as his team looks to stave off postseason elimination in Game 4 of a first-round NHL playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Jackets are adding forwards Matt Calvert (one-game suspension) and Lukas Sedlak (oblique) to the lineup along with defensemen Kyle Quincey and Markus Nutivaara.

The club lost rookie defenseman Zach Werenski to a facial fracture in the last game and has decided to sit defenseman Scott Harrington. It was assumed winger Sonny Milano would be scratched for Calvert, but it’s at least a mild surprise Tortorella is parking Hartnell, who’s celebrating his 35th birthday today.

The 16-year veteran has played some of his best games over the years against the Penguins. He’s also not scored a goal in 36 games. With the addition of Sedlak, a rookie, the Jackets get younger and quicker as they try to climb from a 3-0 series deficit.

Hartnell said he was told of the decision this morning. He had a feeling when the Jackets regained full health at forward, he might be the odd man out. Hartnell was a healthy scratch against Toronto on March 22.

“Obviously, a little frustrated, but I hope the boys can pull it off tonight,” Hartnell said.

Hartnell has a history of unnerving the Penguins with his physical and agitating style, but that’s not worked in the series. The Blue Jackets’ best game, a 5-4 overtime loss on Sunday, saw less after-the-whistle scrums and attempts to go out of their way to hit Pittsburgh players.

“As much as you want to hit them I don’t think, well, obviously it’s not working,” said Hartnell, who has no points and is a minus-2 in the series. “Basically, all it does is tire you out. Watching the other (playoff) series, there hasn’t been that much of the ‘I’m going to run you over for the fun of it.’ At the end of the day, you’ve got to outscore them and I hope that’s what the guys do tonight.

“I think the first two games we were running around a lot and maybe out of position or whatever.”

Tortorella said Quincey’s lack of mobility was a concern in playing him against the speedy Penguins. The coach obviously reconsidered his position and inserted the veteran in place of Harrington, who appeared in the first two games of the series.

Sedlak and Nutivaara will become the ninth and 10th Blue Jackets to make their postseason debuts tonight in Nationwide Arena.

treed@dispatch.com

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