ELMONT, N.Y. — Jakub Lauko was ready to play. Being scratched for two straight games will do that to you.
On Thursday, Lauko responded with what his coach termed his best all-around game of the year in the Boston Bruins’ 5-4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. He set up Jesper Boqvist with a no-look pass from behind the goal line. He attempted five shots, landed two pucks on net and dished out three hits.
Lauko made every shift count. That’s the ask of a fourth-line forward. It is not easy.
“It’s a little different from the other three lines, because you don’t have those minutes,” said Lauko. “Every minute you’ve got, you’ve got to be perfect on the ice. You’ve got to show in those eight, nine, 10 minutes you’re on the ice that you’re perfect, you’re doing a good job. It’s not an easy position to be in.”
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Coach Jim Montgomery gave Brad Marchand 26 shifts against Vegas, most of any forward. It would have been unrealistic to expect the captain and No. 1 left wing to make an impact every time he jumped over the boards.
Lauko’s job, however, was to deliver on each of his 18 shifts. Anything less than all-out mayhem would have caught his boss’ attention. As someone who had lost ice time to Anthony Richard and Justin Brazeau, Lauko could not afford to leave a drop in the tank.
After all, it is that time of year when getting regular work isn’t the only worry on a fourth-liner’s mind. Lauko could be on the move before the March 8 trade deadline for a number of reasons. He is 23. He’s signed through 2025 at $787,500 annually. Opponents don’t enjoy playing against Lauko when he’s rocking and rolling. An interested party may consider him more than a fourth-liner/healthy scratch. The Bruins’ shortness of picks and prospects puts young roster players like Lauko in the possible trade mix.
“I’m not trying to think about it too much,” Lauko said of the deadline. “But it’s hockey. It can happen. It can happen anytime. There’s nothing you can do about it. Just perform well and try to show the team you play for that you belong on the team. That’s the only thing you can do. If something happens, it happens. There’s nothing else you can do.”
On Saturday, Lauko lined up on the fourth line with Boqvist and Marc McLaughlin. The latter was on his first recall of the season. Brazeau, formerly the No. 4 right wing, did not play because of a minor undisclosed injury. Montgomery expected Brazeau to be available on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The plan was for the fourth line to hunt pucks, provide energy and make the Islanders anxious.
That plan went sideways rapidly.
The Bruins did not show up in the first period. By 12:19, hats were flying onto the UBS Arena ice to celebrate Kyle Palmieri’s natural hat trick. The Bruins were giving up odd-man rushes everywhere, mostly because their third forecheckers were either late or loose with their assignments.
Offensively, they did not control the puck. Ullmark was left hanging. They were well on their way to a 5-1 loss.
“We just weren’t good enough and weren’t firm enough,” Montgomery said. “Didn’t start the game on time. It’s one of those games for whatever reason, we weren’t very good. We’ve got to move on to Toronto now and get ready for a team that’s playing really well.”
Montgomery thought about pulling Ullmark after Palmieri’s third goal. But he decided to leave Jeremy Swayman on the bench.
In the second, Anders Lee scored in the opening minute. By then, it was up to Ullmark to ride it out.
“Nothing was our goaltender’s fault,” said Montgomery. “But if they got too many goals early in the first, we would have made a switch. One more goal. Just to relieve him from the onslaught.”
As for the fourth line, Montgomery broke it up along with his other forward units. It is his go-to move when the Bruins are not playing well. Lauko saw time on the third line. Boqvist took a shift at No. 2 left wing next to Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak.
The lineup underwent even more shuffling to start the second. Zacha did not play in Periods 2 or 3 because of a lower-body injury. Zacha crashed into the end boards in the first period. The center walked slowly out of the dressing room following the loss. Montgomery said he did not know whether Zacha’s injury classified as day to day or week to week.
McLaughlin, brought up on emergency recall, made the most of his opportunity. The right wing scored the Bruins’ only goal when he finished off an odd-man rush. He could be back in against the Maple Leafs if Zacha cannot play.
“I felt good out there,” McLaughlin said. “The pace is a little bit of an adjustment. But I feel like I have enough experience now. I feel a little bit more comfortable every time I get this opportunity. But in the end, we just fell short. So it’s disappointing.”
(Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today)
