The Boston Bruins had an infinite amount of storylines coming out of their dominant win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
It all started early in the day, when the Bruins locked up David Pastrnak to his long-awaited contract extension. Boston general manager Don Sweeney wasn’t done there, however, as he traded for Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings and placed Taylor Hall (long-term) and Nick Foligno on injured reserve.
That is what happened before the game. During the contest, Boston exploded for seven goals but also saw Brad Marchand go down with an injury. Lost in all of that, perhaps, was a breakout game from Providence call-up Jakub Lauko, who potted a pair of goals to help spark the onslaught.
He spoke about what the opportunity meant to him, and what he believes is expected of him, postgame.
“After last season I didn’t even know if I was going to stay here or not,” Lauko said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Now I’m a part of this team and it’s just something crazy for me. I’m glad to be a part of it.
“(The coaches) just want me to bring what I do. Bringing energy, bring good forecheck, be hard on the pucks, be hard on other guys. I think today, I played my best game so far this season.”
The 22-year-old has played well in limited opportunities with the Black and Gold, scoring three goals and assisting on three others in 12 games. Given the Bruins’ insane depth, especially following the acquisitions of Garnet Hathaway and Bertuzzi, a steady role in the lineup has not been possible for the Czech native. Opportunities to fill in at random points have been, however, and Lauko has taken full advantage.
