John Tortorella is being straight-up when he says scratching Cam Atkinson was intended to help him.
What other purpose does it serve?
Take your best goal scorer, an NHL All-Star and a core piece of your team out of the lineup to punish him? That's not the point. Atkinson himself admitted that he was headed down the wrong road with his play, and sometimes, taking a night off and taking a breather is the perfect remedy for what ails.
Every player on the Blue Jackets knows it, too – it might feel like a punishment (in some instances, that's probably the proper word) but in reality, it's a gut check. It's a readjustment and an opportunity to take a step back, evaluate your game, and be ready when your name is on the lineup card once again.
Atkinson is a high profile guy, so when he's sitting out, it's a conversation starter.
But for Tortorella, it's much simpler: why risk having Atkinson continue playing through bad habits and risk getting even further off track? Those two missed assignments on Friday night in New Jersey were very unlike Atkinson, who's usually a reliable player and doesn't get beat like that. It's the sign of uncertainty, maybe pressing and trying too hard, and a red flag for the coach.
It was time to take that breather. No harm done.
There's one prevailing attribute in Tortorella's style of accountability: fairness.
Scott Hartnell, Brandon Saad (almost), David Savard and now Atkinson...if you're not playing up to the standard, you're going to come out of the lineup because other players deserve a chance to contribute. It's not to say you're a bad player, but in the best interest of the team, if those waiting their turn have done what they're supposed to, it's only fair to give them a look.
Atkinson is going right back in the mix tonight.
Tortorella has had the conversation: here's why you're out, you'll be back in, but when you do you'd better be ready. The same goes for all players; it's not a warning, it's the expectation in Columbus now. There's a higher standard from the first line to the fourth line, from the top defense pairing to the healthy scratch.
And no one is exempt.
SPOILER-FREE ZONE
In a little more than 48 hours, I'll be in a theater sitting down to watch The Last Jedi.
It's the embargo of all embargoes. I haven't looked at Reddit in three days. I haven't watched any YouTube videos or TV spots or even bothered to go down a Twitter rabbit hole. There are horror stories of spoilers happening in the days before The Force Awakens and I'm determined to make this happen twice in two years.
But!
Hollywood media got a chance to see the movie last night and...well...the reviews are quite good. In fact, they're excellent.
Some said Rian Johnson should be allowed to carry the franchise forward. Others said they didn't know a Star Wars movie could be as good as The Last Jedi is.
Can it just be Thursday? My god.
YOU SHOULD BE READING
- Excellent work by Dan Dukart on an important story: a new rink planned for Columbus.
- It appears Blue Jackets prospect Vitaly Abramov is headed for the world's stage.
- American hero J.R. Smith professes his hockey allegiance to...who?
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