WHAT: Springfield Falcons (0-0-0) vs. Providence Bruins (0-0-0)

WHERE: New England Sports Center, Marlborough, Mass.

WHEN: Tonight, 7:05 p.m.

RADIO: n/a

TV: n/a

RUNDOWN
The Springfield Falcons have unveiled a brand-new slogan for the 2012-13 season: "Hatched and Hungry," and it fits the team perfectly. Last season, the Falcons saw the development of several prominent youngsters take a promising step forward as the club got a taste of a late-season playoff run.

Ultimately, they came up short and weren't able to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs, but there was a sense of optimism born in the strong showings by their key players. Cam Atkinson had a stellar campaign, scoring 29 goals and participating in the AHL All-Star weekend before being promoted to the Blue Jackets later in the year. David Savard was a force on the blueline and the team's veterans were solid, dependable resources for the kids.

Most of that group returns for the 2012-13 season, but there's a new look behind the bench. After serving as an assistant coach for two seasons, 35-year-old Brad Larsen is now the Falcons head coach and has spent training camp trying to implement a hard-working, honest culture around the club. Larsen hired Jared Bednar, former head coach of the Peoria Rivermen, to join him as an assistant alongside Nolan Pratt, who had a 16-year playing career of his own.

Boone Jenner isn't the best skater in the world.

Heck, he might not even be the best skater on his team.

Nor is he the purest of goal scorers. But when has the puck on his stick at a crucial point in a hockey game, it's as if there isn't another player you would rather have in that spot.

Jenner isn't the sturdiest kid or the most physical player on the rink, but when he opens a can on the opposition, it can make your keyboard tremble as you're watching it repeatedly on YouTube.

I guess there's no other way to put it: Boone Jenner simply has "it."

Is it really Tuesday again?

Yikes, the last week really flew by. But one good thing about Tuesday is that it's trivia time on BlueJackets.com and the CBJ Today blog, and you have the opportunity to win some awesome Blue Jackets prizes.

Sound pretty good? Alright, let's get it started.

Let's get the usual disclaimer out of the way: same rules as always. Fill out the form completely and hit "submit," then we'll handle the rest. You will be entered into the pool of entrants and we'll randomly select the winner.

And now for the most important part: the question...

Q: This former Blue Jackets defenseman was nicknamed the "Woonsocket Rocket" for his booming shot from the point, and he also recorded a hat trick in a CBJ sweater. Who is he?


Click here to submit YOUR official entry form!

Ryan Murray admitted last week that, while he was happy and excited to be back in Everett with his junior club, winning some games would make it a whole lot better.

He can now check that item off the list -- however, it's only the first step for the Silvertips, who have a tall ladder to climb up the division standings.

They did themselves no favors in the opening weeks of the season. Everett was swept at home by Prince George to begin 2012-13, including a heartbreaking loss in the series finale. The Silvertips held a 6-3 lead in the third period but lost in a shootout.

Murray said the shootout loss was the toughest to take, because he felt the team played a solid game for 50 minutes before the Cougars started their rally. The mistakes compounded themselves and before they knew it, Everett was looking at overtime in a 6-6 tie. All the work they had put in to get to that point was erased by a brutal stretch in the third period, which Murray said was the hardest part.

When he was hired in May, Brad Larsen spoke about two pillars that he wanted to quickly become part of his team's foundation: accountability and playing hard.

Not surprisingly, those were his hallmarks as a blue-collar NHL player: the ideal "glue guy" who made sure every player was doing their part. He is and was steadfast in his belief that there is no such thing as a corner to cut, and those principles are rapidly being implemented into everything the Springfield Falcons do - both on and off the ice.

As training camp closes in on its first full week at the MassMutual Center, Larsen is entering full-fledged evaluation mode. Which players pulled their weight in the summer and dedicated themselves to coming to camp in top shape, and how many guys are grasping the concepts that have been taught in the early going?

In order to keep everyone honest, Larsen and his staff are paying close attention to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Many people thought this would be a big year for Boone Jenner, and those who made such a prediction have (thus far) looked prophetic.

But man, what a start for the 19-year-old. The Oshawa Generals were widely considered to have a strong club in 2012-13 with the addition of top prospect Tyler Biggs, and another year of maturity from Jenner and teammate Scott Laughton, a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers.

They have wasted no time in getting into high gear. After a season-opening split with Peterborough and Sudbury, the Generals have won three consecutive games and Jenner has been at the heart of the streak.

Not only has Oshawa won three straight, but all three came during the same weekend. "Three in threes" might be one of the most challenging aspects of junior and minor pro hockey, but the Generals won their home opener Friday night at General Motors Centre to get the ball rolling.

The 2012 Hockey Equipment Swap hosted by the OhioHealth Chiller Ice Rinks takes place this weekend -- do you have any equipment you'd like to donate, or are you looking for some spare gear?

This is the place to do it. Come out to The Chiller North in Lewis Center on September 29 (Saturday) from noon-3 p.m. for some of the best deals on hockey equipment that you'll ever find. Skates are priced as low as $20, helmets and gloves down to $10, and select new items will be marked down to a reduced price.

You seriously can't beat it. Even better: we're helping out the Blue Jackets Foundation in the process. The foundation will take all of the proceeds from the swap and direct them to charitable causes in our local hockey community.

For more information on this year's equipment swap, check out the official Chiller Ice Rinks website or by clicking here.

My Twitter feed was blowing up with scores from around junior hockey all weekend long, while at the same time, my eyes were glued to two key pieces of the Blue Jackets future.

It was a weekend of mixed results for Ryan Murray and Boone Jenner, with both players getting back into the junior hockey scheduling mode after the NHL entered a work stoppage on September 15.

When the Blue Jackets assigned them to their respective junior teams, it gave these highly-regarded prospects another chance to potentially dominate their league and take another step forward in player development.

And, lest we forget -- one more try at competing for a Memorial Cup championship.

NOTE: This is the weekly column of BlueJackets.com writer Rob Mixer. Follow Rob on Twitter by clicking here, and check for his regular updates on the CBJ Today blog.

The old adage is that "you can never have too much depth."

The Blue Jackets and Springfield Falcons are putting it to use when training camp opens on September 28.

GM Scott Howson and his staff set out to re-make the club's defense corps over the past year or so, making a big trade in February and continuing on their path during the recent offseason. The next step was the NHL draft, when they selected a poised and mature Ryan Murray with the No. 2 overall selection in Pittsburgh.

As part of a mega-deal with the New York Rangers later in the summer, one of the coveted pieces was a 21-year-old defenseman by the name of Tim Erixon, who was originally a first-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2009.

Add to that mix a solid group of defensemen already in place, and you can see why Blue Jackets management and coaches light up with excitement when they talk about their blueline.

It's deep, skilled and has a ton of potential. But there is a long way to go.

We're in the reflective mood, so let's take another stroll down memory lane for this week's Trivia Tuesday question.

Remember one of the most exciting moments in Blue Jackets history? Of course you do: a rocking Nationwide Arena, sold out for the first-ever appearance by the Toronto Maple Leafs in Columbus.

It was a back-and-forth hockey game that was as breathtaking as it was nerve-wracking; a shining example of why this is the greatest game on the planet. The roof nearly had to be secured in overtime as Tyler Wright took a nifty pass along the left wing and cut in towards the Maple Leaf net.

Just like that -- BOOM. Game over. Wright finished it off just inside the post and the place was pulsating. Feels like it was yesterday.