Bjorkstrand gets going on offense
DALLAS — Oliver Bjorkstrand’s video session with assistant coach Brad Larsen on Tuesday morning didn’t focus on shooting the puck, but rather “just being harder to play against and playing with a little more emotion,” coach John Tortorella said.
Bjorkstrand responded by scoring both of the Blue Jackets’ goals — 78 seconds apart in the third period — in a much-needed 2-1 victory against the Dallas Stars.
“I’m glad for him. He’s an important guy for us with the guys out,” Tortorella said, referencing injured forwards Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Dubinsky. “If we can get him going also offensively, along with his checking, it will be a big plus for us.”
“He’s a pure goalscorer,” center Lukas Sedlak noted. “I know he has more assists this year, but he has a dangerous shot and he showed that. Whenever he’s on my line, I’m just telling him ‘Take it to the net and take a shot. Don’t even try to pass to me.’ ”
Bjorkstrand, who boasts a team-best plus12 rating as well as the second-most assists (18) and points (26) among Blue Jackets players, “can change angles with his shot,” Tortorella said, adding, “not too many guys can shoot the puck like he can.” Despite that, Bjorkstrand had gone nine games without a goal before Tuesday.
“He’s made some good offensive plays, but we haven’t seen him that much of late,” Tortorella said. “He had a great shot in the first period, and just to see him get into some areas of the ice to use that shot was encouraging.
“He’s been a little stale as far as getting into open ice. He’s been a little deliberate on the power play also, and that hasn’t given him many chances with the puck.”
Bobrovsky reaches milestone
Sergei Bobrovsky won his 200th career game Tuesday, becoming the 88th NHL goalie to reach the mark.
Evgeni Nabokov (353), Nikolai Khabibulin (333) and Ilya Bryzgalov (221) are the only other Russians to do so. Bobrovsky’s 60 wins since the start of the 2016-17 season are second-most in the NHL behind Braden Holtby’s 65.
He improved to 10-1-1 all time against the Stars, including 7-0 at the American Airlines Center, where he has allowed eight goals on 207 shots.
Slap shots
Defenseman Dean Kukan and center Zac Dalpe were assigned to minor-league Cleveland on Wednesday, though Kukan was recalled by the Jackets several hours later. … For the fourth consecutive year, the Jackets will set up “Winter Park” at McFerson Commons, directly across the street from Nationwide Arena. They will practice at the NHL-size outdoor ice rink there Jan. 31 — it’s free and open to the public — and the ice will be used for daily public skating, hockey and other events Feb. 2-25. … Left wing Artemi Panarin shattered a pane of plexiglass with a shot during the Jackets' practice in Farmer’s Branch, a suburb of Dallas, on Wednesday before their flight to Denver for a game Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche.