Will Jakub Lauko secure a spot on the Bruins fourth line?
Jim Montgomery on Lauko: 'He's doing what we've asked. He's bringing speed, he's keeping pucks in the offensive zone'
Boston Bruins young center Jakub Lauko has been solid through the preseason. The Czech born player is vying for a spot as a bottom-6 player, specifically on the fourth line.
Lauko scored his second goal of the preseason in the Bruins 5-3 loss to the Devils on Saturday night. The 22-year-old tried to spark a third period comeback for the Bruins.
The forward had four shots on net, four hits and played 13 minutes. Lauko has done all he can through six games to try and convince head coach Jim Montgomery he deserves a spot on the fourth line.
If the Bruins prospect earns a spot, it would come full circle from a tough 2021 season. Things didn’t go to plan for Lauko last year. He placed big expectations on himself but those expectations never materialized.
“Last season I had a big expectations of myself that I’ll end up with those guys at the start of the season and it didn’t work out,” Lauko said after the game to reporters. “I wasn’t good enough. End of last season, (I was) pretty bad. But this summer, I was training my butt off and hopefully it’s going to pay off.”
Lauko has played hard and has had a good outlook on starting the season. "If it's here or if it's Providence, I'll just keep doing what I was doing so far. Now, I think after this game, my head, my heart is clear that I did everything,” said Lauko.
Other players in camp have showed promise and made their case to secure a spot on the Bruins roster. Marc McLaughlin had a great camp and preseason. Many in the media and the fan base alike felt he should have earned a spot.
While Lauko supports his teammates, he admitted that the McLaughlin talk bothered him. “It kind of pissed me off, to be honest,” Lauko tweeted 98.5 The Sports Hub Ty Anderson.
Montgomery spoke highly of Laura’s line following the game, "I thought that fourth line, the Nosek line, was our best line, all game," said Montgomery. "[Lauko] was good. He's doing what we've asked. He's bringing speed, he's keeping pucks in the offensive zone or taking pucks into hard areas. That's why he's been here this long."
The puck will drop on the Bruins season this coming Wednesday and Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney have additional cuts to make. Lauko has stated his case and will know in the coming days if he secured a spot on the fourth line.
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