NHL Playoffs: Tim Thomas Commits Grand Theft in Game 3 vs. Montreal

Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas spent most of the day before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in Montreal with his teammates in Lake Placid. Having the team stay in upstate New York was the best decision management could have made. Throughout the day, sports talk hosts and callers in Boston did nothing but bash the club and in particular, Tim Thomas.

The majority of the callers were demanding for Thomas to be benched in favor of backup netminder Tuukka Rask. The logic, if you will, was that Thomas was responsible for Boston going into Game 3 trailing the series two games to none.

As the world observed Monday night, head coach Claude Julien continued having confidence in his veteran puckstopper and Thomas did not disappoint.

The Bruins jumped out to a 1-0 lead on David Krejci's first goal of the playoffs at 3:11 of the first period. The Bruins were in control of the game for most of the period and took a 2-0 lead when Nathan Horton scored his first goal of the playoffs. Playing with a lead for the first time in the series, the Bruins looked confident and no one was more confident than Thomas. He stopped all eight of Montreal's shots.

The Canadiens came out with a renewed sense of urgency in the second period. They skated better in the period than they had in the first and took more high-percentage shots at Thomas.

However, the Bruins took a 3-0 lead thanks to an uncharacteristic puckhandling gaff by Canadiens goalie Carey Price. He mishandled the puck behind his net and put a pass right onto Bruin Rich Peverley's stick, who easily deposited the puck into an open Montreal net. It was Peverley's first career playoff goal.

At the other end of the ice, Thomas was not about to let anything get by him and he kept the door closed on Les Canadiens until Andrei Kostitsyn scored, cutting Boston's lead to 3-1. After that goal, Montreal played with the confidence they had shown in the first two games in Boston.

With their crowd back in the game, the Canadiens began to buzz around the Bruins' zone for extended periods of time, getting good shots off at Thomas but the University of Vermont alum was not about to have another shot get by him. The second period ended with Boston still in control on the scoreboard 3-1. Montreal led in shots for the period, 13-10.

The third period began with all of the hockey world knowing that the next goal would be a big one. It would be another odd numbered goal which are the most important goals in a game.

The odd numbered goals such as the first goal of a game, the third goal of a game, the fifth goal of a game, etc. are known as momentum changing goals. With Boston leading 3-1, the next goal would either put the game out of reach for Montreal or put them back in it.

What the planet witnessed and, undoubtedly did not expect, was a Montreal club that came out of the gate with the attitude they would not just roll over and pack it in for the night and wait for Game 4. This Canadiens team came out flying, reminding many of the historical clubs that had forged dynasties back in the 1960s and 1970s. The ghosts of the "Flying Frenchmen" had returned.

The Flying Frenchmen of 2011 came at Thomas and his mates in waves. The sustained pressure applied by Montreal at Thomas' crease had Boston's defense on its heels throughout the period.

Tomas Plekanec scored 4:08 into the period, making it a 3-2 game. The crowd was back in the game, as was their team. It was the fifth goal of the game and instead of having breathing room had they scored the goal, the Bruins were in desperation mode. They began scrambling around their defensive zone trying to hold on to the lead.

Montreal sensed Boston's panic and applied the most pressure seen from a Canadiens team in a long time. They used their team speed by dumping the puck into the Bruins corners then consistently won races for the loose pucks, but Thomas was up to the task. He stopped all of the remaining shots he faced, most while under heavy sustained pressure.

Boston's Chris Kelly sealed the deal for the Bruins with 26 seconds remaining in the third period by scoring his first goal of the playoffs into an empty Canadiens net, giving Boston a 4-2 win.

In that mad scramble called the third period, Thomas faced 15 shots. Most were of the high percentage and high quality brand.

Over the last two periods of the game, Boston was outshot by Montreal 28-16, proving that Thomas committed a theft in the Bell Centre. As far as it is known, the Montreal Police Department has not received any phone calls demanding Thomas be arrested for stealing. Not yet anyway. 

Should Boston come back to win the series, Tim Thomas' effort will be talked about for years to come. A Vezina Trophy candidate stealing a playoff game in Montreal is the stuff legends are made of.