Thrashers’ Oystrick has something to prove

Newark, N.J. — Nathan Oystrick shot from the point and saw the puck bounce back past him off New York’s Colton Orr.

“The first thing that came to mind was, ‘Oh, you-know-what,’” Oystrick said.

He reacted immediately, took off in pursuit and managed to reach his lengthy stick out far enough to sweep away the puck before Orr could shoot.

Disaster averted. And, perhaps, NHL career launched.

Oystrick’s second game with the Thrashers showed he’s ready for a third and a fourth and a … well, who knows. The man who stepped in to fill Zach Bogosian’s skates has about a six-week window to prove himself as an everyday defenseman while Bogosian recovers from a broken leg.

“It’s huge. It’s exciting,” Oystrick said Friday as he prepared for Saturday night’s game at New Jersey. “It’s not the best circumstances, but it’s a chance, and I’ve got to go out there and show the coaches and the general manager and everyone what I can do.”

Before Bogosian’s injury, Oystrick spent eight of the Thrashers’ nine games watching from the press box, dressed in a sports coat rather than a hockey sweater. He would practice and prepare with the team but didn’t know when he’d get a chance at a game.

Sitting out was a new experience for a guy who never missed a game the past two seasons with the Chicago Wolves, the Thrashers’ AHL farm team. The one time he did play for the Thrashers this season, he found out too late to get his parents’ airplane tickets to travel from Regina, Saskatchewan, to see his NHL debut.

“It’s tough to come to practice every day not knowing if you’re going to play,” Oystrick said. “Playing like that, it’s almost like you’re still in tryouts, you’re still in camp. This way, I know I’m in every night. It makes it a lot easier. I can get prepared a little better and be ready to go out there and play and do what I do.”

He plays defense the way coach John Anderson likes it — with an eye on offense. Yes, that was Oystrick not only jumping into the rush Thursday night but skating all the way behind the Rangers’ net to check a player against the boards.

“Nathan made a statement [Thursday] night that he’s going to be here, he’s going to play and he might as well play the way he normally plays, which I really like,” Anderson said. “He’s not going to be intimidated by the National Hockey League.”

Oystrick, 25, scored 15 goals each of the past two seasons for Anderson’s Wolves. Oystrick fits right in now that Anderson and former Wolves assistant Todd Nelson are coach and assistant coach of the Thrashers.

Conditioning used to hold Oystrick back, but a summer workout-and-diet program made a huge difference; he’s lighter, faster, stronger and as skilled as ever. He has the vision to make good passes and the long, quick stick of a poke checker. His stick is 61 inches, two shy of the normal NHL maximum.

“I’ve always had confidence in him in key situations,” Nelson said. “Obviously, this is a higher level. From what I saw [Thursday] night, he’s definitely able to play here.

“It was only his second game in the NHL. I know he has a lot more to give, because I’ve seen him play the last couple of years. But I thought he played a strong game.”