McDonald: A simple but respected play should boost Anders Bjork

Anders Bjork wasn’t expecting to be in the Bruins’ lineup for the second consecutive game.

The rookie forward has been struggling of late while dealing with the normal ebbs and flows of a pro’s first season, so coach Bruce Cassidy decided it would be best for Bjork to watch from press level as a healthy scratch against the New York Rangers on Saturday at TD Garden.

After the team’s morning skate on Monday as the Bruins prepared to host the Columbus Blue Jackets, Cassidy announced it would be the same lineup as Saturday’s. Not long after that announcement, the coach learned that David Krejci would not be available for the next two games due to an upper-body injury.

Enter Bjork.

These are the moments when a team learns the character of a young player. Since he did not play on Saturday and was a late addition to the lineup on Monday, Bjork needed to find his game and help the team in any way possible.

The best players in the world, the elite players in the NHL, have a unique ability to respond well to adversity. If a young player can hone that type of unteachable skill, it bodes well for his career. Bjork took a major step forward in his development with the way he played against the Blue Jackets.

Was it a perfect performance? No. But it was a simple play that could serve as a massive confidence boost for him.

Early in the game, Bjork had some jump in his stride, but he proved crucial when he drew a tripping penalty at 6:47 of the second period. Boston capitalized on the power play when David Backes scored to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead at 8:23.

“It’s huge for my confidence,” Bjork said after Boston’s 7-2 victory. “I thought I played a pretty good game, played hard and tried to keep it simple. I was just trying to do my best to help our team get the win. Everyone played a great game, but it was huge for my personal confidence.”

There were a few talking points from the Bruins’ win, including Charlie McAvoy’s first career Gordie Howe hat trick. Or, the fact that Jake DeBrusk played one of his better games in a while. It could also be another strong performance from Danton Heinen, who added a goal and two assists.

But, it was Bjork’s ability to win a puck battle behind the net in the offensive zone, control the puck and try to make a play before he was tripped.

“We need to recognize that as a group, that play meant a lot,” Backes said. “Even though it might not end up on the score sheet, or the penalties-drawn stat is not talked about a ton, but he did a good job to give us a spark there. His play, as a whole, showed the character that he has that, ‘You’re going to scratch me, I’m going to come back with vengeance.’ It’s that hard-nosed type of response you hope to see from a young guy. He brought that tonight, which was a huge boost for that line.”

What could also go unnoticed, but shouldn’t, was that Ryan Spooner played one of his better games this season. It’s no coincidence that he had no choice but to play hard because his linemates, Bjork and DeBrusk, were playing that hard-nosed style. Spooner registered two assists and had five shots on net.

DeBrusk, who was also a healthy scratch a month ago, understands how important it is to respond once you get the opportunity to return to the lineup.

“Hockey’s a funny game,” he said. “It can take a lot from you, and it can give you a lot. I was the most recent guy going through what he’s going through, but he was a beast out there tonight. He was working hard and was doing the things that make him successful. He got rewarded and if he doesn’t draw that penalty, the first play that I made (on Backes’ power-play goal) doesn’t happen. It trickled down and it was fun to play with him tonight because he was all over the puck.”

Bjork played with more of an edge than he has all season to this point. It was that one play to draw the penalty that resulted in a power-play goal that will prove crucial for his continued development as an NHLer.

"Drawing penalties, managing pucks, goes a long way with the guys on the bench," admitted Cassidy. "I was happy to see that they did pat him on the back for those plays -- simple plays -- that help the team win."