BOSTON -- Jakub Lauko had appeared in 31 games this season for the Boston Bruins before suiting up against the Colorado Avalanche at TD Garden on Thursday night.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has been tweaking his lines this season and the tilt against the Avalanche was no different.
Instead of lining up on the fourth line as he had in his previous appearances, Lauko was bumped up to the third line to skate with Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie. The move resulted in Lauko's first goal of the season.
"Yeah, what do you think? It felt good," Lauko laughed with reporters after the Bruins win. "I didn't really have much this season going good for me, so it's good to get something."
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Lauko added: "I was trying too hard. I was trying to play hard the last few games, and it paid off."
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Montgomery understood what the young Bruins forward was going through this season, unable to score.
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"You can’t underestimate how much it is when you're looking at your name and you see bagels," Montgomery said. "It has an impact on you. It tends to wear on you, makes you impatient. It's hard to stay with your own process that helps the team."
Averaging just under 10 minutes a game in ice time, Lauko had been snake-bitten in goals before the Bruins' 5-2 win over the Avalanche. With three assists in 32 games, Lauko now has four points on the season and will look to build on that when the Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens in an Original Six matchup on Saturday night.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
