After starting the regular season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, prolific goal-scoring forward Oliver Bjorkstrand spent much of the last four months with the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League.
But when the Blue Jackets called up Bjorkstrand on an emergency basis after Scott Hartnell suffered an injury in Monday’s loss to the New York Rangers, the young right winger responded by tallying a goal on a breakaway in a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nationwide Arena in Columbus Wednesday night.
“I thought I played good, just tried not to make too many mistakes and play simple sometimes,” Bjorkstrand said. “When I get a chance to make a play, I try to make the play.”
Left winger Brandon Saad started the play when he stripped the puck away from Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri in the neutral zone. Then, center Alexander Wennberg tracked down the puck along the side board, drew two defenders toward him and slipped a pass to Bjorkstrand.
Bjorkstrand took the puck at the blue line, raced in undefended and ripped a wrist shot over the glove of Toronto goaltender Curtis McElhanney and into the upper right corner of the net for his first NHL goal of the season.
“Saader and Wennberg made some nice plays to me,” Bjorkstrand said. “I got a breakaway, and I think, 'Shoot,' so I’m happy it went in.”
Prior to the goal against the Maple Leafs, Bjorkstrand totaled just one assist and six penalty minutes in five games at the NHL level this season.
The 21-year old Bjorkstrand, a native of Herning, Denmark, and the Calder Cup Playoffs MVP last year, got his latest call up to the Blue Jackets after scoring 14 goals and handing out 12 assists over 37 games for the Monsters, who are five points out of a playoff spot in the AHL.
And when Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella turned in the lineup card prior to the game against the Maple Leafs, he made one critical change, putting Bjorkstrand with his top scoring line.
“He stuck out to me in the first period offensively, him and Wenny (Alexander Wennberg),” Tortorella said. “The thing I liked about him in the middle part of the game, and really through his game, I thought he checked. It’s part of the maturation of a young guy, how you play away from the puck.
“I thought he really showed a concentration there, and you could see his skill. He’s a skilled guy and the puck follows him. He played a good game.”
With Hartnell still being day-to-day because of the injury, Bjorkstrand could be on the roster when the Blue Jackets take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division showdown at Nationwide Arena tonight.
“Any game really, I just have to be ready to play and I felt I tried my best out there,” Bjorkstrand said.
“I feel like I’m an offensive player, and they see that too, so they want to put me in an offensive role, which I’m lucky to be put in. I’ve got to play good hockey and not make mistakes then.”
