BOSTON — Jakub Lauko’s confidence took a hit during the Bruins’ recent road trip. But after a bit of self reflection, he turned things around and got back to playing his game.
The forward scored his first goal of the season in Boston’s 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night at TD Garden. Lauko only played 8:25, but led the team with five hits.
“I didn’t really have much this season going good for me. So it’s good to get something,” Lauko said after the game. “I was trying too hard. I was trying to play hard the last few games, and it paid off.”
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Going into Thursday, Lauko had yet to score a goal and just three assists in 31 games.
“When you’re looking at your game and see bagels, it has an impact on you,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. “It tends to wear on you, makes you impatient, makes it harder to stay with your own process that helps the team.”
It was easy for him to pinpoint where he knew he needed to make some changes — Jan. 11 against the Vegas Golden Knights after sitting the previous two games — and he knew he had to change what he was doing. Otherwise, Lauko wasn’t going to be able to contribute the way he knows he’s capable of doing.
“I took a long, long look in the mirror. I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing,” Lauko said. “Sit for two games and my confidence hit complete rock bottom. So, I took a look at myself and I said, ‘Hey, if you want to stay here and play for those guys, you need to do something about it.’ So, I think since the Vegas game (I) was trying to turn (things) around. Hopefully, I’ll keep going and playing better.”
Lauko added that playing hard, “bringing in energy” and “making the right plays” are keys to help him keep his confidence up when he’s in a slump. But there was a stretch where the 23-year-old felt like he couldn’t do much right when he was on the ice.
“I felt like the last 10 games, every decision that I made on the ice was kind of the wrong one,” he said. “So, I just had to turn it around, start from zero and start playing my game again.”
Aside from the energy, Lauko also brings physicality to the ice — he’s never afraid to drop the gloves with an opponent and stick up for a teammate. His offensive game, though, was one that left much to be desired. But after getting a small promotion to the third line and playing wing with Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic, the results came almost instantly.
Lauko has been working in practice to hold onto pucks longer and put himself in better scoring opportunities. It paid off Thursday, and he’ll look to carry that momentum going into Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.
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