Making an impression
Bjork adds strength to his game
This time a year ago, Anders Bjork was the next big thing. After leaving Notre Dame a year early, the speedy winger was given a primo spot in the Bruins’ lineup — the right wing on the Patrice BergeronBrad Marchand line. And it looked like his game would take off along with fellow rookies Charlie McAvoy and Jake DeBrusk.
Alas, the NHL’s never that easy.
Now, after a concussion, major shoulder surgery and various other first-year hard knocks (he was sent to Providence before suffering the shoulder injury that ended his season on Jan. 30), Bjork is starting anew. He took his first step in Thursday night’s 4-0 win in Buffalo, skating on an all sophomore line with left winger Danton Heinen and center Sean Kuraly.
His stat line was modest — 11:34 of ice time, no shots, one hit — but coach Bruce Cassidy saw some growth in his game.
“I thought he was on pucks,” said Cassidy. “What he’s done better is chipand-chase on one-on-one situations when the ice is closing off on him instead of trying to beat everybody with a move. It’s more ‘put the puck behind him and get there.’ He did a nice job with it, led a couple of rushes that way. He’s on pucks. What we’d like to see, in the third period, is puck management. I think that’s one thing with our group in the third period is we didn’t protect pucks well enough in the offensive zone and it forced us to defend a lot. I think I’d put that line in that category, just the maturity level of what’s required when you have a lead. It’s back-to-back games on the road and the team is having a push. You have to manage it down there and force them to take it from you.”
Bjork was held out of preseason games until the final one. Looking like he was surely headed to Providence, his performance in that one game was good enough to keep him on the roster. He was the odd-man out in Wednesday’s debacle in Washington.
Considering Buffalo was his first real game in eight months, it wasn’t bad.
“I felt good,” said Bjork. “I think the energy was up in the locker room and I think that helped me sort of ease into this one. I think everyone wanted to bounce back positively after (the 7-0 loss in Washington) and I think I fed off that energy.”
Bjork impressed many in the organization with the offseason he had and, against Buffalo he looked physically ready to stand up to the rigors of the NHL.
“It felt better,” said Bjork. “I felt stronger, which is nice. I think I noticed some areas where I needed to improve and that was positive. But it was nice to get the win and I think as a team we learned a lot and personally I did as well.”
As Cassidy pointed out, Bjork concentrated on keep- ing his game simple with the chip-and-chase.
“I think our line was focusing on that, too,” Bjork said. “That was something we wanted to do, play in their end, control the puck and not give it up easily. I think we did that well for the most part, and there were areas where we could have done that better, too.”
Captain Zdeno Chara sees potential in Bjork.
“For Bjorkie, it’s been a long time since he played a game. He missed a big (maturing process) of last year and he worked really hard,” said Chara. “I’m sure his game is not quite there where it needs to be. I don’t think any of ours is there where it needs to be. But for his ability to skate and make plays, I think he did pretty well.
“Obviously there are ar- eas where any of us needs to be better. But he’s such a smooth skater that, if he skates, he can be in good position to make plays.”
It will be imperative for the Bjorks of the team to do their part if the B’s are to get back to where they were last year.
Also, the Bruins decluttered their blue line by assigning rookie Urho Vaakanainen, who stood out in training camp, to AHL Providence.