Blue Jackets' players echo Bowness' frustration with late-season collapse

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — For the second time in four seasons, Rick Bowness had a front row seat to one of his teams collapsing down the stretch and ending the season with disappointment. And once again, Bowness did not hold back on his opinions as they enter the offseason. Bowness’ 3-minute rant after the Blue Jackets’ 2-1 season-ending loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night remained fresh in players’ minds on Wednesday as they went through end-of-season meetings. Bowness said he should have voiced frustration a couple of weeks earlier. Had he done so, the Blue Jackets might have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020. Instead, after posting a 3-9-1 record in their final stretch, they fell just a few points short. “These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them. How can you go out and play like that?” Bowness said postgame. “This is why we’re out of the playoffs. That kind of effort. You have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game. Show up and compete.” “This is why we are where we are. This is why we’re out of the playoffs, that kind of effort,” Bowness said Tuesday night. “You have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game. Show up and compete.” The Blue Jackets were in last place in the Eastern Conference when Bowness replaced Dean Evason as coach on Jan. 12. They went 18-2-4 in Bowness’ first 24 games and moved into a playoff spot after collecting a point in 12 straight games. But when the regular season reached its critical final stretch, Columbus reverted to early season form, including tying a franchise record with six consecutive home losses. “We’re all frustrated, and the fans are too. We were in a good spot and weren’t good enough down the stretch. That’s on us. We have to own it and learn from it,” team captain Boone Jenner said. Defenseman Zach Werenski disagreed with Bowness’ assessment that the players don’t care or don’t hate to lose, but also knew that the late-season collapse left everyone angry. “I have a ton of respect for him. He loves us as players, and we love him as a coach,” Werenski said. “We need to learn how to win, and he can help us with that. He’s been around a long time and knows what it takes. We haven’t done it enough — it’s clear. But saying we don’t care or don’t hate to lose, I think that’s wrong.” Bowness was more emotional this time than in 2023, when he criticized his Winnipeg Jets team after being eliminated by Vegas in the first playoff round. “I’m so disappointed and disgusted right now, that’s my thoughts,” he said after the Jets’ Game 5 loss. “No pushback. But it’s the same crap we saw in February. It was. As soon as we were challenging for first place and teams were coming after us, we had no pushback.” In addition to shifting the team’s culture, the Blue Jackets must address their inability to protect late leads. Over the course of this season, they blew 21 third-period leads. The backbreaker came on March 29 against Boston when Columbus was up 3-0 through two periods and lost 4-3 in a shootout. “We have to learn how to win and get over that hump. That’s what our fans deserve, and we owe it to each other. It’s a tough lesson and will be a long summer thinking about it,” forward Adam Fantilli said. President of Hockey Operations and GM Don Waddell has plenty of decisions to make during the offseason, including whether Bowness will return behind the bench. Center Charlie Coyle and left wing Mason Marchment, along with Jenner, will be unrestricted free agents. Fantilli, the third overall pick in the 2023 draft, is a restricted free agent in line for a lucrative extension. Werenski led the team with 81 points and is among the favorites for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. He tied the franchise record in assists (59) and joined Brian Leetch and Phil Housley as the only American-born defenseman in NHL history to post consecutive 80-point seasons. If the 71-year-old Bowness is back, he knows the first thing he wants to do. “If I’m back, we’re changing this freaking culture,” he said. “I’ve been around long enough to know. I’ll find ways. I’ve got enough experience. I’ve dealt with this. I’ve dealt with it before. If we’re back, we’ll straighten it out.” \\\_ Freelancer reporter Nicole Kraft contributed to this story. \\\_ AP NHL: