Even with a tumultuous season behind him, Tim Thomas can’t escape scrutiny.
That was the case on Thursday as CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty tried to make sense of Thomas’ comments following last night’s Game 7 loss to the Washington Capitals, one that ended Boston’s season and dashed hopes of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Thomas pointedly said “they” instead of “we” when discussing the Bruins, leading to speculation his days in Boston might be coming to an end.
Thomas showed some signs last night that he may be anticipating a trade.
Some observers said they spotted him stepping on the Bruins logo in the middle of the home dressing room -- a definite no-no -- after the game was over.
He also referenced the rest of the Bruins team as “they” at least five times during his postgame interview.
“What it says about our guys is that they’re battlers and they’re still champions,” he said. “They gave everything they had to the bitter end. Unfortunately this is sports and they fell short this time.”
The remarks were consistent with Thomas’ tendency to paint himself as an individual.
Haggerty’s article echoes what ESPN Boston’s Jimmy Murphy wrote following Boston’s Game 4 loss. Murphy was critical of Thomas “calling out teammates” and failing to accept responsibility for the defeat, suggesting there was a divide between goaltender and skaters.
Without getting too conspiratorial, one has to wonder if articles like these reflect the organization’s feeling towards Thomas. While GM Peter Chiarelli and President Cam Neely didn’t publicly denounce the White House snub and subsequent political rants, it’s clear both were displeased Thomas made himself a distraction by putting his personal interests above the team’s.