BOSTON — Jeremy Swayman has a favorite saying. “You can’t buy experience at Target,” the Bruins’ netminder has often said.

Jakub Lauko can attest to that.

Lauko freely admits that when he got his first taste of Stanley Cup playoff action a year ago against the Florida Panthers, his head was swimming.

“Last year I jumped into Game 3. And I’m going to be honest, for the first two or three shifts I was just looking around,” said Lauko on Sunday. “I couldn’t believe how fast the hockey was. It was a great experience for an opening-eyes experience. I don’t think there’s anything else in the sports world like it. Playoff hockey in the NHL is a completely different atmosphere. The feeling is completely different.”

In Saturday night’s Game 1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lauko was ready for that charged atmosphere. He was one of a host of depth players who brought the emotion and physicality that will be required for the B’s to advance. In 11:31 of icetime, he doled out five hits and had a memorable block at the end of regulation that caught the attention of the B’s captain.

“Lauks’ effort there – five seconds left and he blocks that shot,” marveled Brad Marchand on Saturday night. “He doesn’t need to do that, it’s 5-1 at that point. But it just shows the dedication to the game and the details.”

In his first taste of playoffs last year, he was in the lineup for the B’s two wins in Florida in Games 3 and 4. But after being in the penalty box for a third period goal in Game 5, he didn’t get into the lineup again that series.

Everything is subject to change, especially when you’re a bottom six forward, but coach Jim Montgomery liked what he saw from Lauko in his second chance at playoff hockey.

“I thought last year, there was an excitement to him to play and actually thought (his first two games) he was one of our better forwards for what his role is,” said Montgomery. “I thought (Saturday) night, he was excited but also a little more comfortable, handling pucks and wanting to go out there and be out there more.”

There were both ups and downs for his third line with Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic. At the end of the first, a Geekie turnover at the Boston blue line led first to matching penalties and then, after the faceoff, another penalty on Hampus Lindholm at the net that led to a lengthy 4-on-3 to start the second period.

...continued

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.