A rough stretch of games for the Columbus Blue Jackets hit a new low Tuesday with a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.

The loss dropped the Blue Jackets to 1-7-4 in their last 12 games, including seven straight losses. Their last win came on Nov. 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On top of the loss, head coach Pascal Vincent sent a message to some notable stars by benching them for the second half of the third period.

Patrik Laine didn't play for the final 9:53 of the game and Johnny Gaudreau didn't play for the final 6:15. Their linemate, Yegor Chinakhov, also didn't play for the final 9:53.

The trio was on the ice for what ended up being the game-winning goal, when the Coyotes scored twice in 28 seconds to take a 3-1 mid-way through the third. Laine and Chinakhov didn't see the ice again after the third Coyotes goal.

When asked why Laine and Gaudreau were not on the ice late in the game, when one goal would have tied it, Vincent said the line of Adam Fantilli, Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko was playing better.

“I coach a team,” Vincent said. “I don’t coach individuals. Those guys were going, they’re going to play. That’s what we’ve been doing all year.

“Once the game starts, we have 18 guys and two goalies. Tonight it was those guys that were going, and that’s why they were on the ice.”

The Blue Jackets finished last season 31st in the NHL with just 25 wins but are off to a slower start this year at just 4-9-4. The team will now hit the road for two division matchups back-to-back on the weekend against the Capitals and Flyers to try to find a win.

“It’s the NHL,” Vincent said. “Nobody’s going to give you anything. We can’t feel sorry our ourselves. Tomorrow we’re going to get up and do it again. Find a solution, work together.”

Thursday's game was Johnny Gaudreau bobblehead night in Columbus.

Blue Jackets bench Laine, Gaudreau vs. Coyotes as losing streak hits seven

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