Bjorkstrand outside looking in at top six

It was an issue last season, too, even though Oliver Bjorkstrand stayed in the Blue Jackets’ lineup every game.

Bjorkstrand, 23, is a square peg right now on a roster with round-hole vacancies. He has a top-six playing style, without top-six production, on a team whose top six forwards are currently entrenched in their roles. There just isn’t a great spot to work Bjorkstrand back into the lineup, barring a void caused by injury or a dip in someone else's play.

“I’m sure he’s champing at the bit to get in, but I’m not looking to take some guys out right now,” coach John Tortorella said Monday, prior to the Blue Jackets’ 7-5 victory in Detroit. “I’m not looking to put Oliver in a top-six mode right now. I think some guys are doing their job there and I don’t think he fits in the other part of it there (in the bottom six).”

The numbers back up Tortorella, showing that Bjorkstrand has struggled when skating on the third or fourth line. That’s where he’s seen the most ice time this season and it's one of the factors that have led to a meager four points on two goals and two assists in 19 games.

Bjorkstrand finished last season with 11 goals and 29 assists, playing in all 82 games and a six-game playoff series, but he also struggled to find a regular role in the lineup. His current situation could change Oliver Bjorkstrand, right, has a top-six playing style, but the Blue Jackets’ top-six strength leaves him no opening for playing time.

at any time, of course, but Tortorella seems fairly content with the lineup.

The top two lines were dominant against the Red Wings, scoring five of the Jackets’ seven goals, while the fourth line of Lukas Sedlak, Riley Nash and Markus Hannikainen logged a solid 10 minutes.

“I’m not going to

change the lineup for the sake of changing the lineup,” Tortorella said before the game. “We’ll see where it goes.”

Cam Atkinson’s goal streak ended at seven straight games in Detroit. He tied Geoff Sanderson for the longest in franchise history (Nov. 5-17, 2002).

Prior to the game, Atkinson said setting a new mark wasn’t his priority.

“It’d be cool to do, but at the same time that’s not what drives me,” he said, before finishing with an assist to extend his point streak to eight straight games. “Scoring goals helps the team win, but I’m just going to keep playing the way I’ve been playing and keep shooting the puck.”

Atkinson was on the ice with the Jackets leading 6-5 lead late in the game Monday and Detroit’s net vacated, but defenseman Seth Jones sealed the game with his own shot instead of risking a pass.

“I didn’t even know,” Jones said. “I was just trying to get the thing out. I wasn’t worried about streaks or anything at that point. Feel bad.”

After going without a point last week in consecutive games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins, Pierre-Luc Dubois bounced back with an impressive three-point game in Detroit.

He scored two goals and assisted on another for his seventh multipoint game of the season and second twogoal game. Last season, as a rookie, he had 12 multi-point games and one multi-goal game.

His second goal Monday was also the game-winner, scored off a rebound during a scramble in front of the net.