Tim Thomas: Goalie Berserker

One of THE best analysis of Timmy Thomas and his unorthodox style.  Totally spot on.

Please, sir. May I have another? YES!

From NHL.com (Goalie matchup: Canadiens-Bruins)

Justin Goldman chooses Tim ThomasBoston Bruins:Tim Thomas is a true goaltending enigma.

Everything he does is the complete opposite of what today’s elite butterfly goalie is taught to do. He is the world’s finest “read-and-react” goaltender and simply does whatever it takes to stop the puck. He’s a crowd-pleaser, a bold and animated man that wears his emotions on his sweat-soaked sleeves. His everlasting aggressiveness also reveals a fiery side that makes him the ultimate competitor.

When juxtaposed with Carey Price‘s technically sound style, I ask myself which goalie is more valuable in such a heated rivalry. Personally, I choose fire over ice. Give me the guy who has the ability to abandon technique when needed and put forth the sheer effort needed to make the timely save.

Here’s another advantage to Thomas’ style — his shorter legs. With a slightly wider stance, the speed at which he drops down into the butterfly and seals his knees and pads to the ice is slightly quicker than a goalie with longer legs.

Watch when he sets up for a shot. His legs will flare out just slightly so that his knees get closer to the ice. This allows him to drop down and pop back up even faster, which makes him that much more mobile and agile in the crease.

Thomas also enters the playoffs with plenty of swagger and confidence. He broke the modern-day save percentage record with a .938 mark and also notched a League-best 2.00 goals-against average. He accomplished these feats in just 57 games, so he’s also way more rested than Price, who played in a whopping 74 games.

As much as I love Price’s stellar fundamentals and youthful enthusiasm, I have to side with Thomas, the NHL’s true goalie berserker. He’s wild, crazy, and literally attacks pucks in a bloodthirsty manner.

And THAT, my friends, is why the Bruins can make a serious run at the Cup.

If you haven’t seen Thomas play, do yourself a favor.  Tune into Versus tonight.  He’ll totally make it worth your while.

I promise.

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  1. Cassy Reply

    I love him. He’s awesome and quite possibly one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He shoulda been in goal at the Olympics. Seriously – I was waiting to meet him and these guys butted in and he was like – she’s been waiting. And asked me where I was from. I made him smile. :D. If he doesn’t get the Vezina, I hope he gets something else AND a fan award. Ladies – let’s get on it!