Bjugstad elevated to 2nd line, Oilers 1 win from advancing in playoffs
Scores twice playing with Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman in Game 5 victory against Kings
Bjugstad was elevated to the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, he and Nugent-Hopkins alternating between center and left wing, and scored two goals in a 6-3 win at Rogers Place on Tuesday to give the Oilers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 6 is at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday.
"I just made an emphasis of trying to get to the net," Bjugstad said after the victory. "I didn't know I had that second one, I thought Hyman did, so that was a fortunate one.
"Just as a unit, as a five-man unit all night, everyone was together and on the same page and that's what it takes to win. We have to bring that same mentality to L.A. in a few days."
Bjugstad, 30, was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes on March 2 for defenseman Michael Kesselring and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The Minneapolis native had six points (four goals, two assists) in 19 regular-season games for the Oilers. He had 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 59 games prior to the trade.
RELATED: [Complete Oilers vs. Kings series coverage]
He played six-plus seasons for the Florida Panthers after they chose him in the first round (No. 19) of the 2010 NHL Draft and was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 1, 2019. After two seasons with his hometown Minnesota Wild, Bjugstad signed as an unrestricted free agent with Arizona on July 13, 2022.
"I remember his time going back to being a high draft pick for Florida and I've seen him in Pittsburgh and Minnesota and this year in Arizona," Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said Wednesday. "I have an understanding of him as a player and what he brought to the table. There was a lot of talk amongst our staff about targeting certain people toward the (2023 NHL Trade Deadline) and his name was always toward the top of our list."
Bjugstad entered the NHL as a highly touted offensive prospect. He had 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists) in 72 games of his second full season, then developed into a checking forward. The Oilers were interested in the 6-foot-6, 209-pound center to anchor their third or fourth line but moved him up in Game 5 against the Kings.
"We've been having a good dialog with Nick, clarifying exactly what is expected from him," Woodcroft said. "It's a little bit of a different role here than he had in Arizona, but he has certain skills.
"The big thing as a coaching staff, as you work your way through a playoff series you want to make sure you're really paying attention to matchups and who is playing well and if there's things you want to look for. In the end, you want to see things clearly, and it's obvious to us he's playing really well."
Bjugstad said he feels fortunate to be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on a team capable of making a long run. He has five goals and two assists in 20 NHL postseason games and has never advanced beyond the first round.
In Game 5, Bjugstad scored at 11:49 of the second period, redirecting a shot from defenseman Cody Ceci, to give Edmonton a 4-2 lead. He was then credited with the Oilers' sixth goal at 4:26 of the third, which was originally awarded to Hyman. Bjugstad centered the puck from the left boards, and it hit the skate of Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson in front and bounced into the net past goalie Pheonix Copley, who replaced starter Joonas Korpisalo after Bjugstad's first goal.
"I would do anything to win a Stanley Cup, so I'm going to continue to chip away and be part of the grind and try to get better every day," Bjugstad said. "There is nothing better than this. We can't get too high on ourselves. That squad is good over there and they've shown that they're pretty resilient too. It's playoff hockey. You don't really know what's going to happen, so you have to bring it every night. I want to continue to contribute and be a part of this group."
The Oilers have an opportunity to win the series in Los Angeles and advance to the second round for the second consecutive season. Edmonton made it to the Western Conference Final last season, where it was swept by the Colorado Avalanche.
"It's not going to be an easy task, we know that," Bjugstad said. "We have three days to think about what we did well. You have to have a short memory if you lose, and I think it's the same if you win. You have to have a new-day mentality, be good at practice, get good sleep, good rest. It'll be nice to have a few days off, we have guys that have been playing a lot of minutes. It'll be good to get a little rest and come with some energy in L.A."
