Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Jump-starting Bjugstad
Addition of Vanek should help center
SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers acquired Thomas Vanek at the trade deadline, not just for his 331 career goals, but also to jump-start linemate Nick Bjugstad’s season.
Bjugstad, who led the Panthers with 24 goals two years ago, has been plagued by injuries, including a broken wrist in the final week of the preseason and then a groin issue, forcing him to miss 28 of the first 63 games.
As a result, he was taken off the power play and saw his minutes-per-game reduced from 16 minutes to 13:12. Bjugstad had 13 power-play goals in the last two seasons but just one this year.
“It’s a little different from what I’m used to,” Bjugstad said of averaging just 11:03 heading into Saturday night’s game against the Dallas Stars. “I’m definitely trying to stay in it [mentally], and trying to find energy when you’re sitting on the bench a little bit. It is what it is. [Having Vanek] will help a lot. I was pumped to see that.”
While Bjugstad got hot during Florida’s franchise record 5-0 road trip with three goals and an assist, he only has five goals and nine points this season, to go with a minus-16 ice rating.
“I feel like [the wrist] is back,” Bjugstad said. “It took a little bit just to get confidence back after being in a cast for like 6-8 weeks. It takes time for any player getting that mojo back, some longer than others. It’s nice to have a free hand [without a brace], so I’m good to go.”
Bjugstad is energized to have two goal scorers like Vanek (15 goals) and Jonathan Marchessault (19 goals) on his line, and he’s also more comfortable being back in the middle after experimenting on the wing earlier this season.
Bjugstad, 24, and Vanek, 33, both played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, albeit a decade apart.
“They know each other from Minnesota, and they skate with each other in the summertime, and putting Bjugstad back in the middle is a big help to him,” Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said.
“When you got two wingers like Vanek and Marchessault they’re going to create offense and that’s why we made the trade for Vanek. It gives us three balanced lines to go on the attack, but we’ve got to take care of our end of the ice as well.”
Vanek led Panthers’ forwards with five shots on net during Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss to Philadelphia, four less than defenseman Aaron Ekblad’s nine shots.
“The hockey world for the most part are good people, so it’s easy,” Vanek said of blending in with a new team. “As far as linemates, just talking every shift, asking what they see, telling what I see, trying to find that chemistry as quickly as possible.
“Our top two lines are doing great, so we feel our line for the most part played pretty well and should’ve had a couple. We’ll do the same tonight and hopefully get us a few.”
Rowe high on goalies
Rowe repeated that goaltender Roberto Luongo will be out for, “maybe a week,” and that his lowerbody injury isn’t, “serious.”
He also said that Luongo’s injury wasn’t related to his offseason hip surgery, and that an MRI wasn’t necessary.
“That’s the beauty of having [James Reimer and Reto Berra] in the system,” Rowe said. “We really don’t take a step back when it comes to goaltending.
“If you don’t have good goaltending, you’re not going to go far. We got three real capable goaltenders who give us a real comfort.”
Reimer, who made his 25th start Saturday, was 12-8-5 with a 2.43 goalsagainst-average heading into the game. He has won 103 games in the NHL, while Berra, 30, has just 19 career wins in 64 appearances. He hasn’t played an NHL game since Dec. 9, 2015 against Pittsburgh while playing for Colorado.
Berra has played 31 games for the Panthers’ AHL affiliate in Springfield, Mass., going 12-14-2 with a 2.53 goals-againstaverage.