It was a goal Marc McLaughlin had scored millions of times. A goal that previously came in driveways, parks, basements, the streets of Billerica, Massachusetts and anywhere else he could plop down a net, find some open space and have fun grabbing a stick and puck.
However, this time, the goal—the one scored millions of times prior—came where he always wanted it to be scored: the TD Garden ice.
"Did you see the bench?… head coach Bruce Cassidy asked, alluding to the pure excitement shown by the bench after McLaughlin’s goal.
As McLaughlin glided back to the Bruins bench to celebrate his achievement, he was sprayed with water bottles as he fist pumped his teammates, a smile from ear-to-ear.
“It tells you a bit about our team,… Cassidy said. “This kid has only been here a little bit. But how hard he's worked; I think every guy on the bench was excited for him."
After signing with the Bruins on Mar. 15, McLaughlin made his NHL debut Thursday night, scoring one of the Bruins eight goals in an 8-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
"I feel like I've lived that moment as a kid 100 million times down in my basement or shooting pucks. But for it to come true here and get in a game and obviously to be able to contribute with a goal, it's really special,… McLaughlin said.
“Coming into it, the boys definitely loosened me up a bit and made me feel comfortable in the room. I feel like that went a long way, getting out there for the first time.…
McLaughlin grew up in nearby Billerica before attending Boston College where he played four years for the Eagles, captaining the Eagles this past season. McLaughlin also represented Team USA at the Olympics this past February.
With Craig Smith out of the lineup due to an illness, McLaughlin was inserted into the lineup alongside Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle. It was Frederic who connected with McLaughlin on a two-on-one that led to his first career goal.
McLaughlin had well over 50 family and friends in attendance.
"I wasn't trying to look around too much. I was trying to treat it like another game and stay present,… McLaughlin said. “I felt comfortable. Curtis Lazar, [Frederic], and Coyle were all joking with me, making me calm down a little bit and get into a groove."
Prior to the game, the Bruins honored the recently retired Tuukka Rask with a pregame ceremony. Rask announced he will be joining the organization as a corporate ambassador.
“I’ll be hanging out with sponsors, golfing and shaking hands in suites. I was intrigued about the business side of things anyways,… Rask said. “I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe I’ll get into coaching. Maybe not. But for now, I’ll be hanging out with sponsors.…
Once the puck dropped, the Bruins wasted no time, taking a 1-0 lead fifty-seven seconds into the contest on Matt Grzelcyk’s fourth of the year. After Jack Hughes tied the game at one later in the period, the flood gates opened with the Bruins scoring the game’s next seven goals.
"We tried to build some good habits in the third period [Tuesday], have a good working practice yesterday, carry it into tonight, and I think it did," Cassidy said. "I think it helped that it looked like New Jersey was trying to be physical early on, so that's kind of the game we probably needed to get our attention as well, so it worked out both ways."
As Cassidy alluded to after Tuesday’s loss to Toronto, the Bruins had some lineup changes outside Smith being out due to an illness and Nick Foligno’s lower-body injury.
Derek Forbort and Connor Clifton sat with Mike Reillly slotting back into the lineup and Josh Brown making his Bruins debut after a trade from the Ottawa Senators at the deadline.
Brown immediately made his presence felt with a first period fight, however, he left the game in the second period and did not return.
The win was a much-needed response to the Bruins loss to the Maple Leafs