Boston Bruins Goalie Competition: Is Tim Thomas the Guy?

Everyone is talking about it here in Boston, and it might as well be the top story for me:  Who is going to be the goalie for the Boston Bruins this season? 

The answer is simple: we don't know yet.  How can that be right?  We are eight games into the Bruins season and must have a feel for who the goalie will be all year long, right?  It's not that simple.

There is no doubt that Tim Thomas is the Bs' go-to-guy right now, as he is by far the hottest goalie in the Nation Hockey League.  Thomas is 6-0 for the Bruins this year, with a save percentage of .984 and three shutouts.  In other words, Tim Thomas has seen 185 shots at him this year and has only allowed three goals.  To put that into perceptive, the No. 2-ranked goalie, Brent Johnson of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has seen 176 shots and has let up seven goals. 

Thomas is truly doing some of the best goaltending that anyone has ever seen. 

That said, Thomas is 36 years old and will be 37 before this season is over.  That is why it is so important to have a guy like Tuukka Rask in the background just learning, waiting and giving Thomas the days off that he will need on long road trips or when the Bruins play back-to-back games.

Rask may be off to a tough start stats-wise, but if you watch the games and have seen some of these goals he's let up, you would understand that he is just as good this year as he was last year, and is nowhere near having a sophomore slump.

Rask will split time with Thomas as the year goes on, and they will be the best thing for each other.  As soon as Thomas cools off a little, Rask will get his chance, and I am sure he will catch a nice hot streak as the season goes on.  Thomas can relax on the back burner and catch some rest until Rask cools off.

The best thing is that there is no jealousy.  Rask is so happy that Thomas is playing so well and really doesn't mind being the backup to such a great goalie.  Last year, when Rask was playing out of his mind in the playoff run, Thomas just sat back and watched him do well with not one bad thing to say about him.  This is the kind of teamwork that so many teams are lacking, and it might be the answer to a magical season for the Bruins.

So I guess I will try to answer the opening question to the best of my ability here: Yes, Tim Thomas is the guy, for now. 

However, if you want to see if he still is the guy in a week or two, check back in, because we could easily be talking about Rask being the hottest goalie in the league. 

These two goalies might be the top two goalies in the NHL, and don't expect the Bruins to trade either of them.  They will both be in the black and gold all year long, and don't be surprised if they are both holding the Stanley Cup trophy when it is all said and done.