Bjugstad closes in on return
It might happen Thursday night
For Nick Bjugstad, the road to recovery has been anything but linear.
Just days into the season, on Oct. 8, he went on injured reserve when a core-muscle injury began to flare up. He returned briefly but soon underwent surgery and a long rehab process that has kept him out since Nov. 15.
The Penguins initially gave a rough estimate of at least eight weeks before Bjugstad could return to the lineup. It’s now been nearly 16.
“There were a few times when I thought I was close,” Bjugstad said. “Then there were tweaks here or there that set me back, obviously.
“That’s probably the toughest, when you think you’re getting there and then you [regress] a little bit.”
Finally, for a player who last suited up Nov. 15, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Bjugstad has two full-contact practices under his belt. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said he’ll be a “gametime decision” Thursday night in Buffalo, which is typically a strong indication a player will be in the lineup. At practice Wednesday,
Bjugstad skated on the third line, playing next to center Jaded McCann and right wing Patric Hornqvist.
“He’s had a tough start obviously with all the injuries and everything going on,” said McCann, who came from Florida with Bjugstad in a trade Feb. 1, 2019.
“But he’s been a complete professional through everything. That just goes to show the character he has and the type of person he is. He’s always been positive.”
When Bjugstad does return, he’ll join a bottom-six that needs a spark.
The Penguins (38-31-6, 82 points) were haunted by a number of issues during a recent six-game skid that ended Tuesday against the lowly Ottawa Senators.
The power play was a dismal 1 for 18 during the slump. Bryan Rust changed that with a first-period goal.
Sidney Crosby was critical of his own performance during the lull. He tallied three points, including a goal.
The defense was suspect. John Marino and Brian Dumoulin almost instantly made a difference, with Marino scoring one goal just 48 seconds into the game and Dumoulin notching the primary assist on Conor Sheary’s goal less than a minute later.
But one of the areas that the win Tuesday didn’t solve? Secondary scoring.
The third or fourth line hasn’t found the back of the net since Teddy Blueger’s second-period goal Feb. 18 against Toronto — a span of seven games. While scoring isn’t necessarily the primary job responsibility for a third or fourth-liner, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone outside of the top six making a difference on the scoreboard.
“I think they’ve reflective of our team,” Sullivan said. “They’ve had moments when they’ve been real good and there have been others where we haven’t.”
On the NHL’s trade-deadline day, the Penguins acquired three new forwards. Patrick Marleau came from San Jose, while Sheary and Evan Rodrigues joined the club from Buffalo.
General manager Jim Rutherford said at the time that bolstering the forward depth was one of the main objectives when he was making his moves, acknowledging the top lines were overtaxed.
With those additions, plus Jason Zucker, Sullivan has begun to get back to his identity as a coach who rolls through four lines. Finding a scoring punch would add an extra shot in the arm, if or when it comes.
“Personally, I think it starts on defense for us,” McCann said.
“Especially the third and fourth lines. We’ve got to be solid defensively. We’ve got to be somebody that the coach can trust. That’s where going to get our chances.”
Bjugstad, perhaps in part because of the nagging injury, had a slow start this season with just one goal in the 10 games he played before surgery. So there’s no guarantee he’ll provide any kind of instant offense.
But, finally, he’ll at least he’s back.
“It’s been the most lengthy injury of my career,” Bjugstad said.
“I don’t really know what to expect. I do know coming back from injuries you can’t try to do too much. You’ve got to try to get into the rhythm. I think just play simple for me. Try to use my body a little bit and see where it goes from there.”