Tim Thomas Deserves To Be NHL MVP: Here Are 6 MVP Candidates He Has Shut Down

Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas won the National Hockey League's Vezina Trophy for his outstanding play between the pipes in 2008-2009. The Vezina, as it is more commonly referred to, is awarded to the goalkeeper who is judged to be the best player at that position each season. 

The 2009-2010 season began with high expectations for Thomas. Unfortunately, the Flint, Michigan native endured a hip injury that kept him from being able to move as quickly in his crease, and Thomas spent most of the season as the backup puck stopper to rookie Tuukka Rask.

Thomas had the injured hip surgically repaired in the offseason. That was the good news. He also had to endure a plethora of trade rumors and speculations. That was the bad news.

Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli made the decision to keep Thomas in black and gold. It is the best trade Chiarelli did not make as Thomas has regained his starting goaltender status in 2010-2011 and is having the best season of his life.

It is a widely held belief Tim Thomas is, once again, the NHL's best goaltender and will win his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons. However, it is Thomas' ability to dominate games that has people throughout the hockey world talking about him winning the Vezina Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the league's most valuable player. Dominik Hasek was the last puck stopper to achieve this lofty honor in 1997.

Other players being mentioned as MVP candidates are Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis, Vancouver's Henrik Sedin (who won the award last season) and twin brother, Daniel Sedin, Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg and Calgary's Jarome Iginla. Here is a look at how those players have fared against Tim Thomas in the 2010-2011 season. 

Stamkos Has Not Solved Thomas This Season

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NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 09: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning waits for a faceoff during an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on January 9, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos is enjoying an outstanding offensive season.

He is second in National Hockey League scoring with 78 points.

In 64 games, Stamkos has scored 41 goals and assisted on 37 others in leading the Lightning to first place in the Southeast Division and third place overall in the Eastern Conference.

The 21-year-old center is the co-leader in points per game with 1.22, but against Thomas, the young star has amassed two points in three games in 2010-2011. In those three games, he has registered one goal on six total shots. The other point, of course, was an assist which came in the same game as the goal. Stamkos has gone pointless in the other two games against Thomas.

The Boston netminder clearly wins this head-to-head competition.  

Thomas Moves to Head of the Class Against Former College Teammate

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NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 09: Martin St. Louis #26 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates during an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on January 9, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

Martin St. Louis is currently in third place in the NHL scoring race. He is known for his speed, puck handling and timely goal scoring.

This season, he has become Stamkos' set up man in even strength and power play situations.

St. Louis has accumulated 51 assists in just 64 games.

His shot has found the back of the net 24 times, giving him a total of 75 points on the season.

The native of Laval, Quebec has not scored against his former University of Vermont teammate with the same consistency he has against other goaltenders around the league. In his three games against Thomas, St. Louis has one goal and no assists. St. Louis is picking up 1.17 points per game in 2010-2011. 

This could make for an interesting conversation at the class reunion.

Henrik Sedin Blanked by Thomas

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NEW YORK , NY - JANUARY 13: Henrik Sedin #33 of the Vancouver Canucks plays the puck against the New York Rangers during the game at Madison Square Garden on January 13, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andy Marlin/Getty Images)

The 2009-2010 season was the year of Henrik. Henrik Sedin. All the Canucks captain did was beat out the likes of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin to win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer. No small achievement. He was also named The Sporting News Player of the Year and the National Hockey League's Most Valuable Player. 

This season has also been outstanding for the 30-year-old center. He is fourth in scoring with 15 goals and 59 assists, which amount to 74 points. Those 59 assists lead the league and help contribute to Henrik's 1.14 points per game.

In his one game versus the Bruins, Henrik had no shots or points in a 3-1 loss at home. He was a minus-two for the game. 

Daniel Sedin Shoots but Does Not Score vs. Thomas

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VANCOUVER, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 22: Daniel Sedin #22 of the Vancouver Canucks takes part in the team warm up prior to NHL pre-season action against the Edmonton Oilers on September 22, 2010 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by

Daniel Sedin may wear number 22 for the Vancouver Canucks, but he is number one in National Hockey League scoring. 

Daniel leads the NHL with 79 points. He is currently fourth with 32 goals, and his 47 assists are fourth best in the league as well, but added together he is top point producer in the best hockey league on Earth.

He is tied with Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos for the league lead in points per game with 1.22. Thirteen of his 32 goals have come on the power play. 

On February 26, 2011, Daniel faced off against Boston and Tim Thomas in a highly anticipated game. Thomas came away the winner on the scoreboard. He stopped 27 of 28 shots while his Bruins teammates scored on three of their 24 shots. Daniel came away from that night with two shots on Thoma,s but neither one crossed the goal line behind the netminder.

Daniel did not gain any points and was a minus-one.

Thomas left Vancouver with increased consideration for the MVP award from most hockey observers. 

Henrik Zetterberg Stopped by Thomas

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NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 11: Henrik Zetterberg #40 of the Detroit Red Wings skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 11, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. The Red Wings defeated the the Devils 4-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty I

Henrik Zetterberg has been one of the most consistent scorers in Detroit Red Wings history.

This native of Njurunda, Sweden is currently fifth in scoring in the NHL with 18 goals and 51 assists. He leads the Wings with 69 points. 

Zetterberg is not always mentioned in the same breath as the other MVP candidates, but he has won everywhere he has played. His gold medals from the 2006 World Championships and 2006 Olympics, along with his Stanley Cup ring from the 2008 season, will attest to that. 

He has garnered some impressive hardware, such as the 2003 Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award and the 2008 Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Zetterberg has faced Boston's Tim Thomas twice this season. In their first meeting, a Detroit win, Henrik took one shot on goal, which was stopped by Thomas. Unfortunately, Thomas did not play past the first period of that game due to fatigue, but he left the game without allowing a goal to the Detroit superstar.

The two men saw each other for the second time just two days later. Thomas played the entire game and again stopped the only shot Zetterberg could muster. The Red Wings forward accumulated an assist in each game.

Jarome Iginla Could Not Dent Thomas' Armor

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TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 15: Jarome Iginla #12 of the Calgary Flames shoots during warmup before game action against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre January 15, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)

Jarome Iginla is the heart and soul of the Calgary Flames. No other player has given more to the organization than Iginla. He has been a Flame for his entire career, which began in 1996.  

The 33-year-old captain from Edmonton, Alberta is enjoying a late season resurrection of sorts. The Flames started slowly and the trade rumors swirled around Iginla for most of 2010-2011, but he kept his focus and desire to bring a Stanley Cup to his fans in Calgary. His leadership has his club in eighth place in the Western Conference, and he has produced 64 points in 66 games on 28 goals and 36 assists.

A leader in the true sense of the word, Iginla is first over the boards for power plays, penalty kill and even strength situations. He will be sent to take key faceoffs in all three zones by coach Brent Sutter.

In the only meeting between Iginla and Tim Thomas in 2010-2011, the Flames superstar had two shots on goal. Neither one slipped past Thomas in a 3-1 Boston win. Iginla did get an assist on the Flames' goal. 

Thomas Has Impressive Numbers Against This Group

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NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 16: Tim Thomas #30 of the Boston Bruins looks at the flag during the National Anthem prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on October 16, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/G

As one can see, Tim Thomas has faced the best the NHL has to offer and has been successful. In facing Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg and Jarome Iginla, Thomas has seen 21 of their total shots on goal in just over six games, plus an extra period. Two have slid past him for goals. Thomas' record in those six full games is 5-1-0.

Thomas leads the National Hockey League with a .940 save percentage and a 1.95 goals against average.

He currently occupies second place in shutouts with seven, trailing New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist by one.

Thomas has won 29 game, good for third place in the NHL. Montreal's Carey Price has 30 and Detroit's Jimmy Howard has 31.

Perhaps the most astounding statistic is that Tim Thomas has played in 45 games this season and has lost just eight.

Thomas is having the kind of season all goaltenders dream about.

Historically, it has been rare for a goaltender to be voted as the National Hockey League's Most Valuable Player, but the league is specific when it says the trophy goes to the "...player who is most valuable to his team."

All of the players who are under consideration for the award are superstars and important to their teams, but in the 2010-2011 season, Thomas has been the most instrumental player in Boston's success. Therefore, he should hear his name called when the Hart Memorial Trophy is handed out at the NHL Awards Ceremony in June.