Cam Atkinson, in Midst of Biggest Funk of Season, Benched During Third Period in Philadelphia

Cam Atkinson is in a funk.

The Columbus Blue Jackets right-winger leads his team in goals on the season with 34, but has just one goal – and no assists – in his last 11 games. For some perspective, Atkinson tallied 10–8–18 during the Blue Jackets' 16-game winning streak earlier in the season.

Saturday in Philadelphia, Atkinson turned the puck over leading to a 2-on-1 at the other end and Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella had seen enough. He benched the sixth-year player for the final 10 minutes of the third period.

Atkinson finished the game, a 4-2 loss to the Flyers, with a season-low 16 shifts. His ice time of 13:33 was one second of his low mark of the campaign.

It was something Atkinson, who leads all Blue Jackets forwards in ice time with 18:15 per game this season, wasn't used to. Television cameras caught him sitting alone at the end of the bench, as the loss played out.

“I'm trying to make a play. It's not like I'm trying to give them the puck. I'm trying to make a play – they got a scoring chance. Obviously, I have to make a better play than that,” Atkinson said following the game when asked about the turnover that led to his benching.

And when asked whether he saw why Tortorella benched him: “I haven't been playing up to my standards, so I see it.”

FOX Sports Ohio's Dave Maetzold asked Atkinson if he was concerned about his own game.

“I'm not thinking about it. I'm just trying to work hard. That's all I can really do right now is work hard and let my offensive skills take over. I obviously have to be way better and I've been trying.”

Atkinson stood in there and fielded questions that aren't easy to answer.

His coach says he was doing Atkinson a favor.

“The way Cam was playing at the time, it wasn’t helping him. I’m trying to save him,” Tortorella would later say.

Atkinson isn't the only Blue Jacket struggling. For his sake – and that of his team's – he'll hope to break out of this funk before the Blue Jackets roll into Pittsburgh for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Wednesday.