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Did Tim Thomas accidentally give Tampa Bay bulletin board material?

Boston Bruins v Tampa Bay Lightning - Game Four

in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at St Pete Times Forum on May 21, 2011 in Tampa, Florida.

Eliot J. Schechter

We’ve had our fair share of drama in the Eastern Conference finals. From Tyler Seguin’s rookie breakout to the Bruins magnanimous El Foldo in Game 4, there’s been plenty to talk about and a lot of is coming from Boston. After the Bruins loss in Game 4, however, those in Boston’s locker room were doing their part to stay positive in the face of a disastrous loss.

Leading the charge with the upbeat talk was goalie Tim Thomas. After all, it fell on Thomas’ shoulders to try and keep the Bruins in the game when the rest of the team seemed to shut it down after getting ahead 3-0. Thomas’ defense hung him out to dry to the tune of four straight goals against in an eventual 5-3 loss. After the game, Thomas made it clear how confident he feels in himself and his teammates.

“Yeah, we’re gonna win,” said the Bruins’ goaltender after Saturday’s Game 4 loss. “I don’t know how it’s going to be at any one point in time or any one game, but what’s important is we come back in Game 5 and win that game.”

They’re bold but confident words from the guy who feels most responsible for what went down in Game 4, even if said a bit tongue in cheek. While that “guarantee” doesn’t quite rank up there with the likes of Mark Messier in 1994 or Joe Namath in Super Bowl III, it’s rare to get such declarative statements from a pro athlete these days. It’s rare because it can also be viewed by their opponents as a means to fire them up.

As you might expect, Thomas’ words caught the attention of at least Lightning coach Guy Boucher. He was a bit sarcastic, yet pointed, with his thoughts on the matter.

“Well, I heard about that,” said Boucher. “Well, we heard that we were easy to play before last game. And, well, I guess we should have stayed home. You know, their people are allowed to think what they think and we’re not going to pay attention to that. Hopefully our players are staying focused and that’s what we’re focusing on.”

In other words, Guy Boucher is not amused no matter what. I don’t know that I’d mess with him when he’s in coaching mode.

We can always debate about whether or not a player’s comments can actually serve to be motivation for a team, especially in the playoffs where winning should be the only motivation. That said, Thomas had to do something to get himself fired up for Game 5 and to give him reason to get focused. While he didn’t get much help from his teammates, Thomas wasn’t exactly sparkling in Game 4 either.

Everyone had to take some of the blame for that loss and Thomas getting bold with his words is a good sign for him. After all, if he stinks up the house in Game 5 and the Bruins take the loss, all the heat falls on him. Better one guy than the rest of the team facing the heat, right?

We’re sure the Lightning aren’t personally insulted by Thomas’ confidence, but now they’ll have their own double-secret motivator if the Bruins come out on fire in Game 5. Either way, it’s set up for Game 5 to have plenty of added drama to a series that hasn’t been lacking it.