Bjorkstrand Vows to Avoid 'Pouting' Amidst Rangers' Ice Time Battle

Oliver Bjorkstrand acknowledged the need to stay positive and impactful as he navigates a challenging start to his season with the New York Rangers. The forward, who signed with the team seeking a more prominent role, has found himself demoted to the fourth line after an initial stint on the second line.

Bjorkstrand, a six-time 20-goal scorer, joined the Rangers after experiencing his lowest ice time and goal output in eight years with the Tampa Bay Lightning. His move was motivated by the prospect of securing a top-six position. However, in the Rangers' recent 1-0 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Bjorkstrand played single-digit minutes for the fifth time in seven games and recorded only one shot on goal.

"You only get so many chances," Bjorkstrand said two days after the Columbus game. "Sometimes, when you feel like you mess it up, it kind of gets to you."

His performance improved in the Rangers' subsequent 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. In that game, Bjorkstrand saw his most ice time since the second game of the season (12:08) and recorded his second multi-goal performance with the team. Despite ranking 17th on the team in average playing time (10:16), he is now tied for second on the Rangers in goals with four.

Bjorkstrand contributed to the win against the Ducks by scoring midway through the second period and again early in the third. He registered three shots on goal in the game, improving his shot percentage to 23.5, which ranks third on the team. Previously, he scored twice against the Islanders on October 6 but went without a point in the following five games.

"Everybody wants to play and play as high up as possible," Bjorkstrand stated. "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."

He also mentioned that head coach Mike Sullivan has discussed the situation with him regarding finding more ice time.

"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."

Sullivan expressed satisfaction with Bjorkstrand's recent performance. "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."

The Rangers are set to face Toronto on Thursday, aiming to improve their 1-3-1 road record this season.