Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness didn't mince words when evaluating his club's performance in a 7-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
"You gotta believe that performance will embarrass them enough to stop this, right?" Bowness said. "Because if they're not embarrassed by that, we don't want them on the team. Simple as that."
The Blue Jackets led 1-0 after the first period, then allowed six unanswered goals - including four while shorthanded - to lose control of the contest. Forward Mathieu Olivier was ejected and assessed a five-minute major in the middle frame for slashing Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis between the legs.
The loss dropped Columbus to 2-3-0 on the campaign, but Bowness' scathing comments are similar to the ones he made as the Blue Jackets crumbled down the stretch to miss the playoffs last season.
Bowness, who was on an expiring contract at the time, said in April that Blue Jackets players "don't care" about losing, and insisted he's going to change the organization's culture if he was brought back for another season.
Although it hasn't translated to many wins yet, Bowness believes in the club's process on the ice.
"I know it looks bad, but I believe in what we're doing. I believe in them. I believe we can fix the problems," Bowness said. "That all being said, if (this game) doesn't get their attention, then they're on the wrong team."
