BOSTON — Marc McLaughlin may have made his NHL debut Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils, an 8-1 victory in which he scored his first career goal, but the Boston College product seemingly has impressed Bruins veteran Brad Marchand with more than just the individual performance.
Marchand expressed how he and the rest of the Bruins were thrilled to see the Billerica, Mass. native score in front of family, friends and Eagles teammates during a six-goal second period. But Marchand went on to indicate the reason behind those feelings is because of what the 22-year-old has shown during his time with the group.
“Yeah, very happy. It’s funny looking over and warm ups and seeing the crowd that he had here. Such a surreal feeling for him I’m sure,” Marchand said after the win. “Being a local kid and getting the opportunity to play here. We were talking before the game a little bit in the gym, and he was talking to (Matt Grzelcyk) about his first game here. And, you know, must be very special for the whole family. So we’re very happy for him. He’s such a good kid so you always love to see that.
“He’s a good kid. He does all the right things. He works hard, kind of stays in his lane but very personable when you when you talk to him,” Marchand continued when asked about McLaughlin. “But, you know, he does the things that you want to see from a kid coming from his situation. He’s always working hard on the ice, working in the gym after practice. He’s there early all the time. One of the first guys here tonight. So, you know, he’s a pro. He’s already dialed in and he’s going to fit in well here.”
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy echoed a similar sentiment.
“I think every guy on the bench was excited for him. He’s a hardworking kid,” Cassidy said. “To get your first goal in front of your parents and your family, it’s a nice thing to be able to do. I think everybody is really happy for him. He earned it. He played hard.”
McLaughlin shared that the experience Thursday was something he had dreamed about as a kid while doing his best to mimic the play of captain Patrice Bergeron. It made not only his NHL debut, but the fact he scored for the Bruins in his NHL debut, all the more special.
“Yeah, it was pretty special. I feel like I’ve lived that moment as a kid 100 million times down in my basement or shooting pucks or something,” McLaughlin said.
The Bruins will look to keep the momentum going Saturday as they return to TD Garden to host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on NESN.
