POST-GAME: Bjugstad steps up for Oilers in Game 5 victory

EDMONTON, AB - A big player built for even bigger moments.
Nick Bjugstad was picked up by the Oilers for games like Tuesday's monumental Game 5 victory over Los Angeles. The 6-foot-6 forward notched a pair of goals in Edmonton's 6-3 win, taking advantage of his newly-elevated status as the Oilers second-line centre on the night.
The pivot was flanked between Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, who also scored, to provide the Blue & Orange with all the supplementary scoring they needed to push the Kings to the brink of elimination.
"I think (Nick) has played exceptionally well since he's become an Edmonton Oiler, and I think he's a type of player who complements other pieces," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said about the centre. "Tonight we were looking for something specific, and that line was excellent for us."
"Just solid. A big, strong guy and good face-off man and doesn't get scored against much," Zach Hyman said about his linemate. "He just plays the game the right way, and that was fun playing with him and Nuge tonight. He's a great player."

In an alternate timeline, things could have been much different tonight for Bjugstad.
The forward was acquired the day before the Trade Deadline by the Oilers back on March 2 from the cellar-dwelling Arizona Coyotes. The 30-year-old was thankful for the opportunity to revitalize his career with the Desert Dogs, but he was far from his goal of winning a Stanley Cup. As the trades trickled in and the time trickled down, Bjugstad was more and more unsure if he would have an opportunity to chase hockey's holy grail -- that is, until he received a call from his agent.
"I was sitting for four or five days, sitting at home watching everyone get plucked off, and I was wondering what was going to happen," Bjugstad said. "That was kind of a stressful deal. When I got the call from my agent, he had initially said it wasn't Edmonton and it wasn't going to happen. Then he had to backtrack a little bit and say it was Edmonton. I was happy about that, and it's been great from there."
The Oilers were Bjugstad's desired destination and he got his wish. The Minneapolis, MN native couldn't imagine what his April would've been like if he was still a member of the Coyotes.
"I don't know. Not much for sure, watching playoff hockey, so it's nice to be playing in it and joining these guys," Bjugstad said. "Great group of guys. Very fortunate to jump on the squad at deadline and do whatever I can to help. It's just a pleasure to be here."

Bjugstad has since provided Edmonton with a versatile option in the lineup. The former first-round pick in 2010 has seen an offensive resurgence this season with his 17 regular-season goals being the most he's scored since 2017-18, and the third most in his 11-year career. Bjugstad's two-goal night gave him six goals in 24 games wearing Oilers silks, but he hopes he isn't done scoring in the summer.
First, the Oilers need to finish off a very tough and resilient Los Angeles Kings team at their home rink on Saturday night.
"I would do anything to win a Stanley Cup. I just want to be a part of this and continue to chip away and be a part of the grind and trying to get better every day," Bjugstad said. "There's nothing better than this. Like I said, we can't get too high on ourselves. That squad is good over there, and they've shown they're pretty resilient too, so it's just playoff hockey. You never really know what's going to happen, and you got to bring it every night. So yeah, I just want to continue to contribute and be a part of this group."