Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson to use benching as turning point
It hasn’t taken long for the Blue Jackets to learn a few things about Pascal Vincent as a head coach.
Since being promoted as Mike Babcock’s replacement, the Jackets’ former associate coach has used ice time, healthy scratches, green practice jerseys for “extras” and challenging drills to set standards for intensity, effort and competitiveness. Vincent’s latest move was benching defenseman Damon Severson for the entire third period of a 4-0 loss Monday to the Detroit Red Wings.
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Severson committed a bad turnover in the second period with an intercepted exit pass from below the Blue Jackets' goal line and five seconds later it turned into a 2-0 lead for Detroit. After a day off Tuesday and talking with assistant Steve McCarthy on Wednesday, Severson acknowledged his mistake while speaking with reporters after practice at the Ice Haus.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Severson said. “It was a really bad game and a tough game for the team, but it especially hurts a little worse, for sure, when I had a play there that definitely shouldn’t have been made on my part.”
Severson said McCarthy told him the decision on his costly turnover was the main reason he sat, but Vincent said it wasn’t the only factor.
“The thing that we realize is how good he is, and our expectations for him are high,” Vincent said. “When he doesn’t play at that level, then he doesn’t help himself and he doesn’t help the team. So, it was more than (the turnover), and we spoke to him. … We explained it to him, he acknowledged it and now we’ll move on. He had a good practice (Wednesday). Really impressed with him.”
Damon Severson ‘trying to do too much’ after contract with Columbus Blue Jackets
Severson, 29, signed an eight-year, $50 million contract with the Blue Jackets after they acquired his rights in a June trade with the New Jersey Devils. That’s the maximum term a pending free agent can sign and only the team that owns the player's rights can offer it.
That’s why a trade preceded the contract, which Severson is eager to show he’s worth. Going back to the preseason, a number of his decisions with the puck have caused hair-raising moments for the Jackets’ coaching staff and goalies.
“I think it’s a little bit of a byproduct of being a new guy trying to do a little too much when there’s not really much there, trying to make the perfect play rather than just keeping it simple,” Severson said. “Sometimes, just to be effective … you have to be more simple. (The Detroit turnover) was one of those plays where I definitely tried to make something out of nothing and it ended up costing us, which was tough for sure.”
Equally as tough was stewing on the bench in the third.
“After the game, emotions are still high,” Severson said. “You’re pissed off you lost. It sucks. I’m upset that I obviously sat. (Vincent’s) upset the team lost. It’s a bigger picture thing because he’s the head coach. He’s got to deal with 23 guys. He’s not just worried about (me) and I don’t want to make it about myself either, because I know what I did wrong. I’m a veteran. I get it.”
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson to play ‘simpler’
Severson is now focused on boosting his play by making easier reads. The Blue Jackets just need him to play like he did with the Devils while helping younger players through leadership, nothing more.
"I need to just play my game," Severson said. "That's what's going to make me successful."
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As for Vincent's early coaching style?
“It’s his first time as a head coach (in the NHL) and he’s just trying to do things that are his way,” Severson said. “He’s trying to get that culture built that he believes in, and he wants everyone to buy into it. He’s trying to get his point across, saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got to make sure we’re doing everything we can to win.’”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets' Damon Severson aims for simpler approach
