Jeff Bauman, Boston Marathon hero, makes emotional Game 2 appearance as Bruins’ banner captain (Video)

The Boston Bruins got a big emotional boost Saturday night. Prior to the club's Game 2 matchup with first-round opponent the Toronto Maple Leafs, the TD Garden received a visit from Jeff Bauman, the local hero who lost both his legs in the Boston Marathon bombings but played a major role in identifying the perpetrators:

Bauman served as banner captain for the Bruins, waving a Boston Strong flag just prior to puck drop.

Bauman's story is the epitome of "Boston Strong". Waiting for his girlfriend to cross the finish line at the race, he saw one of the suspects drop one of the explosive backpacks near him.

He lost both his legs in the blast. When he awoke in the hospital, still woozy from medication, he asked for a pen and paper and wrote, "Bag, saw the guy, looked right at me".

If not for those eight words, the Tsarnaev brothers may not have been caught so quickly.

“I want to thank everyone for their amazing support for me and all those injured and their families,” Bauman said in a statement. “I’m making great progress and I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Please continue to respect our space at this time. I want to thank the Bruins players and organization for the generosity and support for all those impacted. Like all those in Black and Gold I can’t wait to see them on another quest for the cup. Go Bruins!”