Thomas allows a rebound/By S. Bradley
BOSTON — Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas, his team now in a 2-0 series hole against Montreal, had some perfect explanations for the two goals the Canadiens scored off of “juicy” rebounds tonight.
“Well the first one, I kicked out the perfect rebound,” the Vezina Trophy favorite said in the Bruins’ TD Garden dressing room after the 3-1 loss in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Habs.
“The second one, it went off [defenseman Dennis] Seidenberg’s shin pad, it was just bad luck. It just changed the angle by about 3 or 4 inches and that’s the difference between controlling the rebound easily and having there be a rebound.”
Great, Tim. But what about the three or four near misses the Habs had after firing the puck toward his chest and then chasing after rebounds placed in big-time scoring areas? And shouldn’t the answer just be that he has to play better? This team has never needed Thomas more, especially if Zdeno Chara remains out of the lineup any longer. The Bruins don’t need scientific explanations of physics and goaltending.
Head coach Claude Julien didn’t want to comment on Thomas or any individual player after the game. But what he didn’t say about his netminder pretty much told you that he couldn’t say what he was thinking or feeling.
“If there is something that has to be dealt with, it will be dealt with internally,” said the coach when asked about Thomas, who made 23 saves in the loss. “And I think it’s important for us to do those things in the playoffs. And right now is not a time to jump all over anybody. And Tim [Thomas] has been a great goaltender for us all year and we expect him to continue to be that for us in the playoffs.”
Combined with the second goal Montreal scored in Game 1, which Thomas clearly should’ve stopped but let sneak in under his arm, tonight’s two goals off rebounds are certainly going to inspire people outside the organization to “jump all over” Thomas even if those on the inside of the team aren’t going to criticize him.
The calls for Tuukka Rask are sure to come now that Thomas has struggled and the Bruins obviously need some sort of spark.
“You take a step back and start focusing on Monday,” said Thomas about how he stays positive despite the team’s problems. “You don’t feel sorry for yourself, because no one else is going to feel sorry for you.”
I really don´t agree at all that Thomas is the problem here.
Frank, I was actually campaigning Rask should get a start vs the Canadiens before the series started. If this were Flyers/Sabres and Buff had 1 goal in 2 games…..who would be writing blogs about Ryan Miller needing to take his share of the blame. If season stats don’t mean anything then why would you use a reg. season shutout to help your argument? I think your forgetting who was in net vs the Flyers last year, and that his style lends itself to tons of rebounds. In the end, I agree that Rask should be in game 3, I just don’t agree with all the blame on Thomas when the first line has been terrible.
Good grief. A goaltender with the league-leading GAA of 2.0 gives up two goals and the team scores zero… and the problem is goaltending?
A goalie with a GAA of 2.0 sometimes gives up two, sometimes one (or none) and sometimes three or more. He gives up three in the next game, and his team scores only one– and the problem is goaltending?
Goaltending is so far down the list of problems this team has it isn’t even funny.
My fear with Tuukka is he can always be counted on to let in at least one soft goal sometimes two and the team has consistently played flat in front of him. The team is flat right now big time-I am not sure Tuukka will spark anything or just make the players even more tight.
That said i can see taking the risk on starting him come Monday and I really think they should give Seguin a shot.
And there aren’t any guarantees Chara will be ready to play come Monday or that he will be anywhere near to top form. Although a 50% Chara is 100 times better than a healthy Hnidy.
What i dont get is that Thomas has made some amazing saves during the regular season and then come playoff time, he lets in 1 or 2 goals, that looked to me he easily could have saved.
I agree, i think Seguin should play tomorrow night. He could bring more to the game than Kelly or Ryder. We’ll just have to see what Claude decides to do.. good luck
George: As Thomas is proving now, season stats really are the LAST thing to matter at this point. You seem to forget that Rask had a SO last year at the Bell Centre. A goalie who’s saying he “kicked out the perfect rebound” on the 1st goal when he put it STRAIGHT on Cammalleri’s tape just proves me he’s totally diconnected with the reality. Either take the blame or shut up, especially when it’s obvious to everybody this play was ‘perfect’ only for the Habs…
Tukkas #’s against Montreal this year and over his career are terrible.
2010-2011 : 0-2 .896% & 3.53GAA
Career : 1-5-1 .910% & 2.71GAA
RD, is it safe to say the Canadiens game plan has worked perfectly? It looks to me like they are trying to take away as many odd man/transition chances away as possible, while waiting for a mistake that will allow a counterattack. Their protection of the crease/slot area has been really good, even more impressive to me has been their winning battles in the defensive zone.
“You take a step back and start focusing on Monday,” Thomas said? It will indeed be easier for TT to focus from the bench. It would be suicidal for Julien’s job not to start Tuukka & Seguin in Montreal. That’s the only way he can spark this team. I’m tired of always being stressed when Montreal shots with an unsafe tumbler in net. Let’s slow our heart beat down by putting the real goalie in now.
Yeah I really don’t think Thomas deserves the blame here. While I don’t think he is playing a spectacular game, the real problem is the team can’t move the puck without turning it over and the B’s think they are supposed to aim for the middle of the goal. These guys don’t seem to realize there are corners in the goals and some shots can be aimed there.
Also, I don’t blame Thomas for being shaky last night-finding out Chara wasn’t playing has to make you worried if you are a goaltender and your defense is a turnover machine.
That said I can see reasons to put Rask in net that have nothing to do with blaming Thomas for the losses-trying to get a different spark or to see if he we can throw off the Habs’ game.
But in two games where the offense hasn’t played well and the defense can’t keep from turning over the puck Thomas is the last guy on the list of people to blame (except for Marchand and perhaps Bergeron who at times seem like the only two guys on the ice who showed up to play all six periods).
Timothé enjoys a Ping Pong game more than anything.
Nifty, I agree but com’on TT wasnt even beaten with a direct shot. The D should not allow that easy shot in the open net. Goaltending is not the issue, rebounds or not. Lucic not burying the open netter in the 1st is far more frustrating for me. Put that damn shot under the crossbar not 6 inches off the ice in his golve. sad, sad, sad…
Don’t take out your anger out on Tim when the team gave up the puck all 3 times they scored on top of the fact the two goal that looked the same should have had a defender there I’m not a blogger but even I know how the defense should have been played and when that doesn’t happen its not tim fault!
Really, you point to Thomas’ 2.5 and say that’s “not horrible?” There’s a defense.
He gave up a weak goal in game 1 and 2 weak goals in Game 2. No he can’t win with out his team scoring, but he is not playing well now, nor has he played well against the Habs all year. Not to mention, he’s never been particularly good in the playoffs anyway.
I’m not blaming him either but as far as instilling confidence in your own end he’s missed the boat. He looked nervous from the get go and when he goes into that “kitten chasing a laser pen” mode. I get nervous. When the guy at the other end is making tape to tape passes and the only goal he lets in is a deflection. It just magnifies things like bad rebounds.
Way to call out Thomas when the Bruins have scored one goal in two games. Your telling me Thomas deserves blame when he would have had to get a shutout both games to give the Bruins a chance, that makes zero sense to me. Sure Tuukka is the answer even though he has been a rebound machine the whole season. I think our time would be better served calling out the first line for producing nothing and the whole team for having a disgraceful power play.
x2
Thomas did a good job but not as great as price is right…
beside lucic chance and the only goal, theres no good chance or 2chance/rebound allowed
Boston look more concentrate on hitting and revenge to PK
Tim’s goals against is around 2.5… it’s not horrible.
I’m rooting for the habs and all we habs fans can talk about is how bad the Bruins defensemen are doing covering and clearing rebounds. Price made some massive saves but gave up a couple juicy rebounds that were cleared by his d-men. What are Ferrence and Kaberle doing?
It worked in Anaheim when they brought it Emery. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to see Tuuk for a game. Let Thomas clear his head and get back on track. Who knows, maybe we could even see a version of Tuukka from the Buffalo series last year
The goaltending is WAY down the list. Ask Phoenix if they would take 5 goals against in two games.
The last thing in the world the Bruins need is to bring in Rask. You think they look nervous and out of sinc now, wait till Tuukka gets back there.