McLaughlin's First Goal Highlights B's Rout of New Jersey

BOSTON - Bruce Cassidy did not have to look far to appreciate the moment.
As he peered up and down the Boston bench after Marc McLaughlin potted his first career goal in his NHL debut, pure jubilation was all he could see.
Joy and elation are hardly unusual emotions following a goal, but for the Black & Gold to erupt in raucous celebration for a player that has only been around the organization for a couple of weeks?
It was the type of response that Cassidy believes speaks volumes about his group.

"Did you see the bench? It tells you a bit about our team," said Cassidy. "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."
It was exactly the type of feel-good moment the Bruins needed after a disappointing setback to division rival Toronto on Tuesday night, and behind McLaughlin's memorable tally - the highlight of a six-goal second period - Boston bounced back with an 8-1 beatdown of the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night at TD Garden.
"It was pretty special," said McLaughlin, who was subbing in for Craig Smith (illness) as the third-line right wing alongside Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle. "I feel like I've lived that moment a hundred million times down in my basement, shooting pucks or something. A dream to come here, and get in a game, and obviously being able to contribute with getting a goal is really special.
"Coming into it, the boys 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 also had the comforts of home all around him. The 22-year-old hails from Billerica, Massachusetts, a suburb just 25 minutes north of Boston, and spent his four-year college career down the road at Boston College. As such, the hometown boy had quite a contingent of family and friends on hand - he estimated upwards of 50 - for the occasion.
"I wasn't trying to look around too much," said McLaughlin, who signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the Bruins on March 15. "I was trying to treat it like another game and stay present. I felt comfortable. Curtis Lazar, Freddy, and [fellow Mass. native] Coyle were all joking with me, making me calm down a little bit and get into a groove."
Brad Marchand did the looking around for him during warmups, spotting the bevy of McLaughlin supporters - many of them in No. 26 sweaters from some of McLaughlin's previous teams - that was looking on from the loge.
"It was funny looking over in warmups and seeing the crowd that he had here. It's such a surreal feeling for him, I'm sure, being a local kid getting the opportunity to play here," said Marchand, who potted two goals, including his 30th of the season, as part of the second-period barrage.
"We were talking before the game a little bit in the gym, and he was talking to [Charlestown native Matt Grzelcyk] about his first game here. It must be very special for their whole family. We're very happy for him. He's such a good kid. You always love to see that."
McLaughlin did say he caught the replay of his mom Jill's jubilant reaction to his first goal, which was captured by NESN and showed her jumping up and down in a mass of the forward's family.
"I saw it on the Jumbotron," said McLaughlin. "I saw my mom jumping up and down. It was pretty cool to see. I'm blessed with having such a supportive family, friends, my teammates - they were here tonight. That means a lot to me, to see them out here supporting me."

The natural centerman also received some meaningful encouragement from one of his hockey idols - who just happens to now be his captain. Growing up as a Bruins fan, McLaughlin looked up to Patrice Bergeron and even said that all those times when he was envisioning his first goal in his basement, he was doing it as No. 37.
"It's definitely surreal," said McLaughlin, who like Bergeron is known for his defensive prowess, having been named Hockey East's Best Defensive Forward in 2021. "He's a guy I've looked up to my whole life. As soon as I got here, he was super welcoming. He came up to me, told me it was just another game, and to play to my strengths, and definitely made me feel comfortable. He has such a presence in the locker room. A guy I can learn from and look up to, for sure."
McLaughlin, donning No. 26, did not look out of place in his inaugural spin in the Spoked-B, despite shifting to the wing from his usual center position. Showing off a blend of grit, speed, and skill, the 6-foot, 198-pounder landed three shots on goal and one hit in 13:01 of ice time. On his goal, McLaughlin burst through the neutral zone with Frederic on a 2-on-1 before opening up in the slot to receive a feed from his linemate. McLaughlin made no mistake as he rifled a one-timer over the glove of Devils goalie Jon Gillies to put Boston ahead, 7-1, with 7:56 left in the second period.
"Freddy had his feet moving, and then made a great pass right in my wheelhouse," said McLaughlin, who also represented Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. "So, all I had to do was shoot it in. I don't know if he was [calling for me], but I saw him giving me a look, so he knew I was there, and I saw him open up and feed it over. It was a great play by him…Freddy made it easy for me, put it right in my sweet spot. I feel like I got all of it."
Cassidy likened McLaughlin to a number of other college free agents - naming Kevan Miller, Torey Krug, and Noel Acciari - that found quick success with the Bruins after prosperous careers in the NCAA.
"All hard-working guys," said Cassidy. "Part of that is their age when they come in. I think they're a little farther along, so they get it. They're more mature in that regard. Marc certainly falls into that category…he's been working hard, doing everything very professional in practice, shooting the puck hard. You saw it on his goal. I don't think that was an accident. He can shoot the puck, making hard plays, and he was called on to play the wing tonight.
"It's one game. I'm glad it went well for him. Let's get him in a few more before we see where he'll fit on this team, but good for him."

For now, it appears that McLaughlin is fitting in just fine, both on and off the ice.
"He's a good kid, he does all the right things, he works hard and kind of stays in his lane," said Marchand. "Very personable when you talk to him. He does the things you want to see from a kid coming from his situation. He's always working hard on the ice, working in the gym after practices or early all the time. One of the first guys here tonight. He's a pro. He's already dialed in and he's gonna fit in well here."
McLaughlin, who credited the legendary Jerry York for helping him to grow both as a person and a hockey player while at The Heights, said now that his first goal is out of the way, his focus will be "all about finding a rhythm" should he get the chance to remain in the lineup.
"One game is one game, you've got to come back and have a solid effort if I get a chance to go back in," said McLaughlin, who captained York's Eagles during his junior and senior seasons. "But it definitely helps getting the first one under your belt. Obviously, there's a lot of emotion, there's a lot of nerves going into the first one. So, I'm sure the second one will have less."