"It was a surprise last season when forward Blake Comeau was called up from Bridgeport after doing little to earn a promotion, but he impressed early and became the one young player former coach Ted Nolan trusted. But new coach Scott Gordon said last night that to crack the lineup, Comeau must improve his conditioning and become more accountable.

"Blake hasn't had the benefit of defining what kind of player he's going to be at the American League level to show what kind of player he could possibly be at the NHL level," Gordon said. "He had some moderate success last year, but at the time he got called up, I don't think anybody thought he was really ready to play. We're asking him to be more accountable in different areas than maybe he was last year.

"I want him to play with the same desperation that a guy like Richard Park or Andy Hilbert plays with. I don't think that Blake has conditioned himself to play that way yet."

Gordon says he'll be patient with Comeau, but he has to be more physical to merit a bottom-six forward role. "I was told that [Comeau] was a really physical player for his first 10 games last year," Gordon said. "We didn't see that with the consistency that I was told it was going to happen. He knows that, and he knows he's capable."

Bailey out

First-round draft pick Josh Bailey is out "two to four weeks" with an undisclosed lower-body injury, according to Gordon. "He was feeling good, and then, all of a sudden, it was there," Gordon said. "I guess it could have been a lot more serious had he not stopped when he did."

Bailey still can play nine NHL games and retain his eligibility for juniors."