Jakub Lauko made the most of his NHL debut
Photo Credit: NHL.Com
On Tuesday night, Jakub Lauko made his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals. While he did not record a point, he displayed all the tools that earned him a spot on the Bruins roster. For the Czech native, it was a significant milestone after dealing with adversity in the AHL.
In 54 games last year, Lauko had 16 points for Providence. The former third-round pick only had three goals, and his plus/minus dropped from 11 the year before to -28. As Lauko had the worst year of his professional career, he reached rock bottom. However, he has not let that define his career, and the 22-year-old is now fulfilling his dream.
“I just feel a lot of excitement and that it’s a privilege to be here,” Lauko told reporters. “Be hard on the forecheck, be hard on pucks and try to win every battle. Just play my game and not be nervous, even though the guys said it would be hard. That’s really all I can do.”
His success has partly been due to a changed mindset. Lauko trained with Olympic wrestlers this offseason and found the fun in hockey again. That has paid major dividends as the talented center battled for a spot on the fourth line. He has brought a spark to the Bruins bottom-six forward group, which has not gone unnoticed by head coach Jim Montgomery.
“He’s fearless going to hard areas,” Montgomery told the media. “We think he brings energy to our group, and that speed element is something we felt we needed in our lineup.”
Against the Capitals, the 2018 draftee landed three hits and saw 11:36 minutes of ice time. He also spent time on the penalty kill and did not back down from any challenge. The former 77th overall pick was skating with a purpose and drew two penalties. While the Bruins started the 2022-2023 campaign with a 5-2 win, he was one of the many bright spots.
As the season continues, Boston will need more performances like Tuesday night from Lauko. The offense will come as he becomes more comfortable in the NHL, but on Opening Night, he did not seem overwhelmed by the increased pressure. After battling injuries and inconsistency, he crossed off the first of hopefully many milestones this season.
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