Only one goal in mind for Bjork
B’s winger hoping to add some offense
Anders Bjork at least appears to be on the right track these days. Bjork, who was once thought of by Bruins management as a top-six wing when he first turned pro, has been taking to his role as a bottom-six grinder lately. He’s been around the net more and done a pretty good job of forcing turnovers in the offensive zone.
But will that track he’s on right now lead to more production? Bjork still had just 2-3-5 totals in 28 games going into Thursday’s tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Coach Bruce Cassidy is still in wait-and-see mode on that one.
“I don’t know if the production will come. We certainly hope so. With Anders, we’re not expecting him to score like a first or second-line player necessarily, but contribute. Then you just hope there’s growth over time — (you hope) his shot gets better, his attack, his decisions, understanding what you can get away with,” said
Cassidy on Thursday morning.
“I’ll use the loss against New Jersey as an example. He had a chance on his backhand to get it to the net against (Jack) Hughes. He took a shot, a bad-angle shot, though it wasn’t a bad play. Then the next penalty kill, we kind of addressed it with him, that those are opportunities, especially against a smaller body, to use your lever
age. And then sure enough, the next penalty kill, he tracked down Hughes, stripped him and then got inside and he was all alone with the goaltender. (Mackenzie) Blackwood made the save as he went across the crease. Maybe he needs to keep going across the crease there and get Blackwood to open up and then shoot. That’s the next stage. Now that you’re around the net, now that you’re getting opportunities, what’s the final piece of the puzzle to get it by the goaltender? I think some of that is instinct. You can look at different scenarios all you want on video, but goal-scorers just separate themselves. I think that’s just a natural ability and that’s where he’s lacked a little bit the last few games. Charlie Coyle‘s been around the net with some good looks and hopefully they start going in for him. So that’s the positive. You always want guys creating. You worry when they don’t. That’s when the red flags come out. But once they start creating, hopefully you get some end result with goals. We’ll see if that happens.”
To get players more involved, Cassidy has at times put them on the penalty kill. It was starting to help the struggling Jake DeBrusk before he went out of the lineup on the COVID protocol list two weeks ago. Bjork believes it’s helped him, too, and hopes it leads to bigger and better things.
“I’m really trying to take pride in my penalty kill this year. It’s something I’ve been focusing on a lot and working with the coaches on. It gets me on the ice more, it gets me more in the game, a couple extra minutes. And it’s huge for our team,” said Bjork. “It’s an important part of the game, so it’s something I’m trying to take a lot of pride in. I think that it’s been contributing these last couple of games here. I’ve been playing with some more confidence and getting around the net more, making a few more plays. I’m just trying to keep focusing on that. I’m just trying to get more pucks on net and get to the net myself more, because that’s how you start breaking over that cusp and start scoring goals.”
Cassidy talks player criticism
Since taking over four years ago, Cassidy has never shied away from criticiz
ing players when warranted. It is not done sarcastically and caustically, but it is direct and can be brutally honest.
In the last couple of days, Cassidy has not only pointed out the current shortcomings of his bottom-six newer players, but also his top goal-scorer in David Pastrnak.
Cassidy said it should not come as a surprise to a player if he reads an unpleasant quote about himself.
“I don’t think any player or any person wants to get called out through the media. I understand that,” said Cassidy. “I think I’ve been quite open with this. My challenging of players has always gone through the player first. It’s not like I’m a silent guy on the bench and between periods and then all of a sudden, I get asked a question post-game and I’m all over a guy. Everything you’ve heard, I’d say 95% of the time has already gone through the player’s ears and been addressed, why and what the expectation is. And then sometimes I’m asked a question and I’ll get specific with players, right or wrong. For example, the other night, the bottom-of-the-lineup guys were all brought in, shown video of when they affected the play with their forecheck, their turnovers, their driving and we got pucks to the net. The (Trent) Frederics, the (Zach) Senyshyns, the (Karson) Kuhlmans, the (Anton) Blidhs. The young guys that we ask to be a little more assertive to impact the game. Now they’ve seen it, they’ve heard it, both good and bad. I think they responded well in the third period the other night and I hope they respond well ( Thurs
day), bring that same energy. That’s the ask, that’s the job description. That’s how I’ve used it as a coach and for good or bad. You try not to get too specific with a play. If I’ve been asked, ‘Did that goal cost you the game?’ Then, no. You win and lose as a team. But I will definitely point out players at times that are not meeting our standard.”
Kuhlman, for one, takes it as how it’s intended.
“As competitors, it lights a fire under us, for sure,” said Kuhlman. “We all know what we’re here for, we want to help this team win. I think all three of us on our line know what we can do to help the team night in, night out and now’s just a matter of executing that.”
Lauzon moves on from mistakes
Jeremy Lauzon, stepping back up to play on the top pair with Charlie McAvoy, had a rough night on Tuesday. Two of his miscues ended up immediately in the back of the net. It certainly helped Lauzon’s frame of mind that the B’s were able to come back and win the game, but Lauzon knows he has to park those mistakes and move on.
“Obviously I think it’s a work in progress,” said Lauzon. “I’ve been working on it a lot since junior years and I think I’m now really good at it, just leaving it in the past, show character, and know that you can keep playing good even if you make mistakes.” …
DeBrusk, on the COVID list for two weeks now, returned to the ice for the first time on Thursday morning, skating on his own prior to the team’s optional morning skate.