Lauko’s presence felt on fourth line
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Fourth liners often get overlooked over the course of 60 minutes. They play fewer shifts and minutes than the top three lines.
Lately, Jakub Lauko is making it hard to miss him.
The Bruins left winger has been making the best of his fourthline twirls over the last week-plus, using his quickness and fearlessness to win loose-puck chases and create opportunities.
Lauko is rounding into the form he flashed last year after getting derailed earlier this season. On Oct. 24 in Chicago, Lauko suffered a facial fracture and a nasty gash across the bridge of his nose when he was hit by a skate blade.
He returned to the lineup two weeks later with a full cage and has continued to wear it.
“I’m feeling good,” Lauko said Monday, a small scar near his left eyebrow the only remaining evidence of the horrific incident.
Lauko has been making his presence felt lately, playing like a confident puck hunter.
“Yeah, I started the season slow and just a little stretch before the injury and right after the injury, I kind of didn’t have many looks, I just didn’t feel confident on the puck,” said Lauko, who didn’t factor into the scoring in Monday night’s 5-2 loss to the Blue Jackets but had two assists over his previous three games. “I didn’t have much faith in my ability. So, the last few games I’m trying to be like, ‘OK, let’s forget about it and just try to play.’
“So, I think still there’s a lot of room for improvement, I’m not going to say there isn’t, but I feel a little bit better than I started the season and the first month, let’s say.”
The fourth line is tasked with bringing energy, creating momentum changes, and giving the other lines time to catch their breath. The trio needs to be pesky and hard to play against.
Jim Montgomery has noticed an uptick in Lauko’s play.
“His speed, his ability to win foot races really, and win one-onone battles,” said the coach, when asked what the second-year pro brings to his attack. “I think his game has really started to trend in the direction that we saw a lot of glimpses of last year and I think you can see he’s getting confident because he’s hanging onto pucks.”
Rookie center Johnny Beecher, who scored the second Bruins goal in the loss, and Lauko have been the fourth-line mainstays with Oskar Steen, Patrick Brown, and now Morgan Geekie slotting in on the right wing. Lauko likes the way they’re playing but knows there’s more in the tank.
“I know we scored a couple of goals in the last few games, but I think we can be more, let’s just say, sharp on the ice,” he said.
Because fourth-lines shifts can be more spontaneous than scheduled, being ready is always the key.
“We know we are not going to be there in every rotation,” Lauko said. “So, it can happen quickly. We get a face off back in the [defensive] zone, just got to take it back to the offense in a quick shift, then we can sit for two rotations.
“So, it is just about being ready, present in the game and just the mind-set to just go there and be ready right away.”
Trouba owns up to hit on Frederic
Jacob Trouba said his stick hit to the head of the Bruins winger Trent Frederic Saturday, for which the Rangers defenseman was fined $5,000, was unacceptable.
“It can’t happen,” Trouba told reporters. “Saw video of it and it didn’t look good.
“[I have to] control my stick better. Take the fine and move on.”
History class in session, briefly
So, why Blue Jackets?
According to Britannica, the name “pays homage to the many Ohioans who served in the Union army during the American Civil War and to the manufacture in Columbus of many of the uniforms worn by that army.”
This concludes the history portion of the notes.
Bergeron due to debut with alumni team
Patrice Bergeron is expected back on the Warrior Arena ice Saturday to make his debut with the Bruins Alumni team when it takes on the Warrior for Life Fund All-Stars at 4 p.m. in the Chief Special Operator Nathan H. Hardy Memorial Game. Kevan Miller also is expected to lace them up. For tickets and information go to bostonbruinsalumni.com/tickets or warriorforlifefund.org . . . Kevin Shattenkirk was back on the blue line after being a healthy scratch the last two games and picked up an assist. Defenseman Ian Mitchell and Steen were the scratches . . . Ex-Bruin Sean Kuraly started at center for Columbus and assisted on its final goal, an empty-netter with 6:19 left . . . Rafter check: The Blue Jackets’ lone retired number belongs to Rick Nash (61). The top pick in the 2002 draft, Nash played 674 games with 289 goals and 547 points in nine seasons in Columbus. The winger played a total of 1,060 games with 437 goals and 805 points. For the Bruins, he played 11 games and had 3 goals and 6 points in the 2017-18 season . . . Song of the night: “Machinehead,” by Bush.