Columbus Blue Jackets don’t mind all those who doubt them

The Columbus Blue Jackets don’t mind all the doubters. In fact, they almost welcome them. “People were waiting for us to falter, kind of waiting to say, ‘I told you so,’ ” coach Todd Richards said of his team’s season. “And this team never did.” Saddled with years of losing, the Blue Jackets get it that almost no one thinks they have a shot against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which start tonight ( 4:30, NBC Sports). It looks like a mismatch, one of the youngest teams in the NHL making its second postseason trip in the franchise’s 13 seasons against Sidney Crosby’s Penguins. – AP