Vladar Shines in Debut, Lifts Bruins to Victory in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH - The Bruins were not in the sturdiest of positions entering Tuesday night's tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With the second end of a back-to-back on tap, the Black & Gold had dropped nine of their last 12 games and were set to play without either of their top two goaltenders. Tuukka Rask, while back on the ice, was not yet ready for a return from injury, and Jaroslav Halak was in line for a night off after four consecutive starts.
That meant that the Bruins would have to turn to 23-year-old Daniel Vladar between the pipes. The Czech native had never started an NHL game and his only appearance came in mop-up duty during last summer's second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The odds were not necessarily stacked in the B's favor with a high-octane Penguins team riding a six-game winning streak waiting on the other side. But any doubts that Boston may have had about its chances faded quickly following a strong start and a memorable save from their young back stop.
Midway through the opening period, Vladar lunged to his right back across the crease to rob Penguins forward Colton Sceviour with a stellar stick save that set the tone for a gutsy 34-save effort that propelled the Bruins to a 2-1 victory at PPG Paints Arena in his regular-season debut.
"It was pretty unreal," said Trent Frederic, who potted the winning goal with a wrister from the high slot at 7:07 of the third period. "Once he did that, I knew he was locked in and we knew we had to get the win for him. He's really worked hard up to this point. He battled for us tonight."

Vladar looked poised beyond his years throughout the evening and made a bevy of point-blank stops to keep the Penguins at bay, but it was his remarkable stick save - which the netminder called "lucky" and "one in a 100" - that remained the topic of conversation during the postgame.
"It certainly gave the group confidence," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "The whole group got up. When you make a save like that, it's bound to lift the guys…I assume it made him feel pretty good. It certainly gave our guys a lift and it gave their guys something to think about when those don't go in. At the end of the day, it was a critical play in the game."
Following Boston's loss to the Penguins on Monday, there was some question about whether it would be Vladar or fellow P-Bruins standout Jeremy Swayman that would get the nod in goal. But after consultation with goaltending coach Bob Essensa and goaltending development coach Mike Dunham, among others, Cassidy announced on Tuesday morning that it would be Vladar making his first career start after five seasons of splitting time between Providence and the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.
"You could tell after the game, it meant a lot for him," said Frederic. "He's worked a very long time, very hard. Being with him in Providence, he's always putting in the work. He's a very good kid, everyone likes him. I'm happy to call him one of my friends and it's really cool to see him work his way all the way to here and see him win."
Vladar, who boasts a 2-2-1 record with a .923 save percentage and 2.01 goals against average for Providence this season, found out over the weekend that it was a possibility that he could be called upon Tuesday night should Rask still be sidelined. With several days to prepare himself - both mentally and physically - the 2015 third-round pick felt confident and embraced the opportunity he has waited for since he turned pro ahead of the 2016-17 season.
"Goalie Bob told me that there was a chance I was going to get a chance to play," said Vladar. "I kind of knew that it depended on how Tuukka is feeling and, obviously, if Tuukka was healthy I wouldn't get a chance to play. I kind of knew a couple days before. I just tried to play my game and I know all the guys were so supportive of me.
"Jaro talked to me, told me to enjoy your first game, it goes like that and it's your last game. I was just trying to enjoy every second, every moment out there. I'm just so thankful right now that we got the win."

Following several frantic moments to close out the victory, the 6-foot-5, 185-pounder was mobbed by his teammates who poured off the bench, clearly thrilled for the netminder and appreciative of his efforts during what was certainly not the easiest of situations to step into. Vladar also received the game puck, saying that he is "probably gonna sleep with it tonight. I might actually buy some safes and lock it there so no one can steal it from me."
"[Jaro] was so supportive, the whole bench. I just felt so much energy from them," said Vladar. "Obviously, I was a little bit nervous because when you get the first [start] like this you want to show your best. You don't want to waste the opportunity to show what you can do. I knew how I can play, but at the same time it's not every day that can be your best day."
Vladar was especially grateful for the encouragement he received from Halak before, during, and after the contest.
"We didn't even talk about hockey, we talked about random stuff," said Vladar. "He told me [during the last TV timeout], 'Hey 12 minutes left, we'll have some fun on the plane on the flight.' [After the victory], he was just telling me what he told me before the game, that he's got the feeling that I'm gonna win the game. He told me, 'See you've got to listen to me.' It was really nice for me.
"I have a lot of things I can learn from him, not just on the ice but off the ice, too."

Vladar also had plenty of support from afar. Immediately after the game he grabbed his phone and called his girlfriend and parents who were watching back in his native Czechia, where it was early Wednesday morning.
"I might get fined from the guys. I used my phone after the game in the locker room," Vladar joked. "First thing I did was call my girlfriend, then I called my parents and they were celebrating. I don't even know, it's probably 3 or 4 a.m. back home. They are probably going to be a little tired at work tomorrow, but I think it was a big event for our whole family.
"I just felt like they were here with me. Kind of sad that they could not be here with me and enjoy this moment, but I hope that I'm gonna get more opportunities."
If his first start is any indication, those opportunities are surely in his future. And just like on Tuesday night he'll be sure to cherish each and every one.
"Just the happiest kid in the world right now," said Vladar. "It was always my dream to play in the NHL. I got the opportunity and I won. There hasn't been a better day for me hockey-wise. I really appreciate that the coaches gave me a chance.
"It was a great team effort…it's really good for us that we got the win and that we can travel to Buffalo right now, enjoy the day off tomorrow and keep working hard because it's worth it."