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This isn’t what Oliver Bjorkstrand envisioned.
The six-time 20-goal scorer was banking on a bounce-back season, signing with the Rangers for an opportunity to claim a role in the top six after being relegated to the bottom six last season with the Lightning. With Tampa Bay, he received the lowest ice time of his career (13:38), resulting in his lowest goal total (12) in eight years, his fewest shots on goal in a full season and 162 fewer total shots than he’d attempted in Seattle just two years prior.
Though Bjorkstrand opened this season on the Rangers second line, he was quickly demoted to the fourth line in favor of Tye Kartye.
In Saturday’s 1-0 overtime loss at Columbus, Bjorkstrand played single-digit minutes for the fifth time in seven games. The 31-year-old took just one shot against the Blue Jackets, which bounced off the crossbar, prompting visible frustration from the veteran.
“You only get so many chances,” Bjorkstrand said two days later. “Sometimes, when you feel like you mess it up, it kind of gets to you.”
Bjorkstrand’s outlook changed in Monday’s 5-2 win over the Ducks as he strengthened his case for more opportunities.
While seeing his most ice time (12:08) since the second game of the season, Bjorkstrand recorded his second multigoal game with the Rangers. Despite ranking 17th on the team in average playing time (10:16), Bjorkstrand is now tied with Gabe Perreault for the second-most goals (four) on the Rangers.
Bjorkstrand, who sealed the win by scoring midway through the second period and adding another early goal in the third, took just three shots on the night, improving his shot percentage (23.5) to third best on the team. The veteran wing previously scored twice in the win against the Islanders on Oct. 6, then was held without a point in five straight games while playing limited minutes.
“Everybody wants to play and play as high up as possible,” Bjorkstrand said. “I don’t know, you use that as your motivation. Obviously you always want to get out there more, but what you get in front of you, you try to do the best with it and that’s obviously my job is to go out there with the right foot and find a way to have an impact. That’s the mindset I need to have. You can’t be pouting and all that stuff.”
Bjorkstrand said that head coach Mike Sullivan has spoken with him about the challenge — and effort — to find more ice time for him.
“He’s talked about that,” Bjorkstrand said. “I’ll leave it up to him how he handles that, but again it’s up to me … when I get out there, I gotta put in my minutes and do what I can do. If it’s a goal, it’s a goal. If it’s a hard minute, then that’s what it is. That’s what I can focus and control.”
The next chance comes Thursday in Toronto, where the Rangers will attempt to improve upon their 1-3-1 road record this season.
“He’s a great kid, a good player, he works hard, he can really shoot it,” Sullivan said after Monday’s win. “I was happy for him. He played well.”