Bjork bounces back
Sometimes it takes just one goal to break out of a scoring slump.
In the case of Anders Bjork, he’s hoping its a non-goal.
The third line winger had a goal called back in the second period of the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime victory Monday night against Dallas at the Garden. Despite not getting on the scoreboard, he took it in stride.
“That was an easy one, so I guess it wasn’t in the cards tonight, but hopefully our line can see how close we were to scoring there and build off that,” Bjork said.
Bjork skated with David Backes, who was back at center, and Danton Heinen, and while the trio didn’t get on the scoresheet, they produced chances the bottom nine forwards haven’t been getting.
“I think our line produced a good amount offensively. I think our whole team was going which was good, and I think our line provided some energy that we kind of got our team going a bit,” Bjork said. “So, that was cool, and I think we played a full 60 minutes. Our whole team did, but for our line to do that was encouraging, because, I think, me personally, I had a couple tough games leading up to this one, so it was nice to string together a full 60minute game.”
After not posting a shot against Nashville, a night when the entire Bruins offense struggled, Bjork posted his first multi-shot game in nine contests.
bRUINS NOTEbOOK
Once again, it was the top line — and power play — that produced the entire offense against the Stars, with Brad Marchand scoring in overtime on the 5-on-3 and David Pastrnak getting an early power play tally.
The Bruins will take offense anywhere they can get it after being shut out twice in three games before Monday night. But Bjork’s steady progress seeming to come to a head with a goal, and then having it taken away, results in some frustration.
There still are positives to take from it.
“Bjorky might be frustrated because he hasn’t seen much, so hopefully he sticks with it and gets rewarded next time,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I just like the fact that they’re all out around the front of the net. That’s usually how you get out of your slump. You get some of those, I don’t want to say cheap ones, but those ones from in tight.”
Despite a solid game, and a couple of games in which he’s shown potential, Bjork still hasn’t seen a ton of playing time. His 11:12 of ice time Monday was ahead of only Heinen among the Bruins.
If his presence continues to be noticeable, that might change.
“I think we all understand that we have to bring it every night and thought a couple of young guys had some really good games,” Marchand said. “Bjorky played great. He was everywhere.”
Injury update
With Chris Wagner healthy, Anton Blidh’s stay with the Bruins was short as the team sent the forward back to Providence early Monday.
Matt Grzelcyk’s return to the lineup Monday night went off without a hitch, so the B’s also sent defenseman Jeremy Lauzon back to the AHL after three games with the Bruins.
“I felt good. It was nice to kind of get acclimated back out there,” Grzelcyk said. “I thought we had a really good first period and kind of controlled the play early, so I thought we were also clean in our own end.”