There are some that want to run the Boston Bruins starting goalie Tim Thomas out of town, these are the same people that have all but blamed the veteran goalie for a for the Bruins loses against the Washington Capitals. I know it's cliche but there is no "I" in team, hockey is a team game and loses don't happen in a vacuum. Pretty tough to win a game if your team is only scoring one to two goals per game.
If you have been watching the series against the Washington Capitals for more than a minute you will know that Tim Thomas has not been the reason the Bruins have been pushed to the brink of elimination in their first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins have looked sluggish and at times disinterested in playing hockey. Offense points from their top six forwards has been the main problem for the Boston Bruins.
It's still easier to blame the goalie for the teams problems. I also got to give credit where credit is due, the Washington Capitals are not an easy out and they have played the Boston Bruins hard and have not given the Bruins much of a chance to get chances from the slot. A lot of the Bruins offensive opportunities have been from the perimeter.
Joe Haggerty, Bruins Insider ---- It would have been difficult for the Bruins to even entertain dealing Thomas heading into next season if he’d repeated his Conn Smythe, Vezina and Stanley Cup efforts again this spring, but that doesn’t appear to be happening. But his average playoff performance after turning Boston’s regular season into his own personal political agenda loosens up their attachment to the veteran goaltender quite a bit.Related articles
Thomas’ no-trade clause is gone as of July 1 and his actual 2012-13 salary drops to $3 million while retaining a $5 million cap hit – a wrinkle that will make the veteran netminder attractive to a goalie-starved team looking to hit the cap floor while saving ownership a few bucks.
While it’s clear to those that closely watched the Bruins Thomas wasn’t the same goalie this year once the calendar hit January, there is still enough value associated with the goalie to net the Bruins a few picks and a prospect this summer.
