Saturday night at Nationwide Arena was one of the loudest nights in recent memory. The Utah Mammoth and Columbus Blue Jackets put on a show filled with goals, big moments and a huge scuffle in the third period.
With the score 4-4 with just over five minutes left in regulation, all heck broke loose. A pair of fights broke out in the corner near goaltender Karel Vejmelka. Mathieu Olivier fought Ian Cole twice in the same sequence which resulted in a game misconduct for Olivier. But also, Damon Severson fought Alex Kerfoot.
Fighting is something you generally wouldn’t see from Severson. But in the moment seeing his team seemingly outnumbered, he answered the bell.
When Severson came out of the scrum, he skated across the ice pumping the crowd up. The crowd responded like it was a playoff game. The players felt that momentum would be enough to eventually get the win.
While Logan Cooley was able to score in overtime to give the Mammoth the win, it was still an unforgettable night thanks to the fans. In Severson’s three years with the team, he admitted it was the loudest he’s heard Nationwide Arena.
“Probably in my three years, that’s the loudest I’ve heard it and that’s the best atmosphere was last night,” Severson said of the Blue Jackets’ fans.
Severson said he watched back the replay of him pumping up the crowd. What was going through his head in that moment? And what prompted him to fight Kerfoot knowing he’s not out looking to fight?
“I don’t want to fight. I don’t look to go fight,” Severson said. “I was just always told to protect myself and my teammates. It’s like the old saying, but luckily enough, we got some bigger guys who can handle themselves really well on the team. And last night was just one of those situations. I’m not going looking for it at all.”
“I saw we were outnumbered five-on-three in the corner and I knew we were getting called for a penalty,” Severson continued. “(Werenski) and I just jumped in to try to protect and it just ended up working out that way where we’re both all in there going to fight. It’s just protecting myself and my teammates and I don’t back down from anyone.”
The adrenaline was flowing as Severson left the ice after his fight. In his words, there’s not much thought going on in the moment especially when the moment calls for it.
“You don’t really think much, honestly,” Severson said. “Your adrenaline’s going so much. I’m not a fighter by any means. It’s a part that you have to do it. I’m more than willing to step up. Your adrenaline’s so excited. You’re at home. You don’t do that on the road obviously because you’re playing into (their) crowd at that point. You’re at home. You’re in a big game. It’s 4-4 late in the game like that and we’re not looking to do that. But we were in a huge moment in the game and just the adrenaline was going.”
“I was excited. We were trying to come back. I don’t want to put my team down. I don’t want to sit in the box. I want to be out there and be able to help the team in those five minutes of key moments. But it’s a spur of the moment thing. But when I’m pumping up the crowd like that, I’m trying to think of what I’m thinking in that moment. You don’t really think much other than you’re just excited. It’s just one of those key moments that you’re trying to play into the crowd and keep them involved in the game heavily.”
The Blue Jackets had multiple chances to take the lead including one from Adam Fantilli on a late power play. They had the momentum and thought it would be enough to get the win. While it wasn’t enough on Saturday, it showed two important things.
First, the Blue Jackets if necessary will answer the call especially if they see their teammates outnumbered. Then second, the crowd made it an amazing atmosphere. It made it feel like a playoff atmosphere. Down the stretch of the season, it’s those kind of moments and help from the home crowd that could prove to be a difference maker in big games.
Severson answering the bell shows that just about anyone on the Blue Jackets is capable of the same if the situation warrants it. It made for great theatre on Saturday night.
No Time to Mess Around With the Lineup
Now that it is after the NHL Trade Deadline, rosters can be over 23 players assuming it is cap compliant. Thanks to the Blue Jackets bringing in Conor Garland, they sit with a roster of 24.
Head coach Rick Bowness has to make lineup decisions knowing there are 14 forward and 8 defensemen who can play. Barring injuries, that’s two forwards and two defensemen that will sit every game.
On Sunday after practice, Bowness spoke about his mindset on some of those decisions. He also spoke a little bit on Dmitri Voronkov, who was a healthy scratch on Saturday. In the head coach’s mind, there is no time for messing around. They remain outside the playoffs starting this week.
“We have to look at our lineup everyday now,” Bowness said. “We got 14 NHL forwards. We got eight NHL defense. If somebody’s having a real tough time, they’ll get one warning and then they’ll be out. We’ll put somebody else in. We don’t have time to fool around, wait for guys to find their game. They’ve had all year. So they’ve had 62 games to find their game. And if they’re off for a little bit, they’re going to get a warning. If it doesn’t pick up, then they’re out.”
Barring an unexpected injury or illness, Voronkov is set to miss a second-straight game Monday when the Blue Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings in a make up from the previous postponement due to severe winter weather. Bowness said Voronkov will get another chance upcoming.
“He’s a big man that works,” Bowness said. He hasn’t created a lot of offense and so I think that’s kind of hurt him a little bit. But I give him credit. He works incredibly hard. He’s a big, heavy man in there. He’s going to go back in. Everyone’s going to play. With the schedule we have coming up, everyone’s going to play. When he gets back in there, we hope he can bang in a goal around the net like he normally does and see if that gives him a chance to stay in the lineup.”
The Blue Jackets have 20 games left starting with Monday’s game against the Kings. To get to 100 points, they would need to finish those games 12-5-3 or equivalent to get to 100 points. The current pace to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs is about 99 points.
There is simply no time for the Blue Jackets to wait for struggling players to find their game. Knowing that four players are out each game should give the ones playing the motivation to play their best. One or two bad games could lead to a date in the press box.
Side Dishes
- We’ll find out for sure Monday pregame, but the expectation is that Fabbro will be able to play. He skated with Erik Gudbranson at Sunday’s practice. He missed Saturday’s game due to a lower-body injury.
- Sean Monahan and Charlie Coyle didn’t practice on Sunday. Bowness confirmed those were maintenance days for both players.
- The Kings and Blue Jackets will play at 4pm eastern on Monday. How different is that routine with a puck drop three hours earlier than normal? Severson addressed that.
- Severson: “It’s a bit of an awkward time. I really like the 1:00 or 3:00 games. Just wake up in the morning, have a little bit of food, come to the arena, come to the rink, have your meetings and play. Whereas the seven’s are always our normal time. 4:00’s are just a weird one obviously with it being a make up game and we’re travelling on top of back-to-back. You adjust your routine a little bit, trying to find the right time, amount of sleep and get ready in the morning. It will be awkward timing-wise but both teams have to do it. We’re excited to finish the homestand with it.”
