Trotz on putting Kostitsyn back in Preds lineup: ‘Absolutely not’

Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz has confirmed reports that Sergei Kostitsyn will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday when the Preds take on the Blue Jackets in Columbus.

Confirmed it…adamantly.

“Absolutely not,” Trotz told The Tennessean when asked if Kostitsyn would be in the lineup on Tuesday. “That’s just accountability as a player to the coach, to the group that you have to be accountable.

“He wasn’t accountable there, so he’s not playing.”

Trotz, of course, is referring to the incident during Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Edmonton in which Kostitsyn went for a line change that led to Edmonton scoring on a 2-on-1.

In case you haven’t seen it yet:

Kostitsyn was apologetic and remorseful following the game:

“I made a mistake. I went to change, I should have backchecked, but didn’t see the second guy was coming there. Even if it was a one-on-one, I should go back, it doesn’t matter if I was tired. I should have gone back and pressured him from behind.”

Trotz, meanwhile, was flummoxed at what transpired:

“I can’t give you a logical explanation for an illogical event.”

Parking Kostitsyn in the press box is no small decision for an offensively-starved Nashville team.

He sits first on the team in plus-minus rating (+7), fourth on the team in assists, with nine, and led the team in scoring two years ago (with 50 points.)