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Tim Thomas’ new equipment helping him rebound

Tim Thomas

Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30) stops a shot by the Los Angeles Kings during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Los Angeles, Saturday, March 24, 2012. The Bruins won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)

AP

All right so Tim Thomas isn’t having the mind-blowingly awesome season he had last year. Those kinds of seasons are hard to recreate.

One thing Thomas did do recently, however, was to make some subtle changes to his equipment, and as Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com points out, those changes are already paying off for last season’s Mr. Everything in Boston, especially after last night’s 4-2 win over Los Angeles.

Thomas said his old pads were “starting to break down” and had been so weighed down with sweat from the games in Florida that he wanted to opt for some equipment with some stiffness.

It looks like the rigid new pads are working out. Thomas has been like himself again over the last two weeks, and was at his best when the Bruins needed him in Los Angeles. He made 12 saves in the first period to match Jonathan Quick, and then Thomas kicked out a strong extended leg save on a Slava Voynov bid with a wide open net on the backdoor.

Hey, at least Thomas knew he could change his stuff up whenever he felt the need unlike Columbus’ Steve Mason who had no idea such things were possible. Then again, that’s why Thomas has won the Vezina, Conn Smythe, and a Stanley Cup. The Bruins could use the lift of seeing the Thomas of old to keep the Ottawa Senators off their heels and if this tweak in his gear does the trick, the Bruins set up to be dangerous in the postseason once again.