By Danny Picard
CSNNE.com
BOSTON -- The Bruins didn't practice on Friday, but several players, along with coach Claude Julien were available to the media, a day after their dramatic come-from-behind overtime win in Montreal that evened their playoff series at 2-2.
The two biggest stories of the day were Tim Thomas receiving a nomination for the Vezina Trophy, and Andrew Ference's 2,500 fine for pointing his middle finger to the Montreal crowd after scoring Boston's second goal on Thursday night.
Thomas was asked about officially being a Vezina Trophy finalist, and after losing his starting job to Tuukka Rask last year, his response was just as expected.
"Very happy to hear that, obviously," said Thomas inside the Bruins locker room at the TD Garden on Friday. "After last year, wasnt quite sure if Id ever hear that again. And so obviously very happy."
Thomas will be a favorite to capture the award, over Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne, but with the timing of the announcement coming right in the middle of a crucial playoff series with the Canadiens, Thomas was asked if talk of the award will be a distraction.
"Only if you make it," said Thomas. "Its weird timing, that we happen to be in the middle of a very tough first round series. So its really, to be honest with you, its an honor. And I could talk about it right now but my focus will immediately go back to the playoff series. I wont be thinking about the Vezina later today."
Boston Bruins
Distracted or not, everyone in the organization feels he's worthy.
"I think its pretty obvious to me, and Tim is very deserving of that nomination, and obviously I am a big fan of what he has done this year," Julien said on Friday. "And if you ask me he certainly deserves it and Im sure that would get some arguments from other places. But Im certainly going to support Tim for the season hes had. Especially what he went through last year and to bounce back this year and have that kind of season, he is certainly very deserving. So I wish him all the luck and hope that he wins what he deserves."
Julien also commented on Ference's hand gesture to the Montreal crowd, saying that all he plans on doing is backing his player.
"With Andrew, I think hes been pretty open at what he thinks of the situation and his comments were pretty clear," Julien said. "And Im going to support my player. Thats my job, to support and believe your player and thats what I am going to do."
A day later, Ference was sticking with his story, that the finger in his glove got stuck, and that all he was doing was giving a fist pump.
"I talked to Mike Murphy of the NHL this morning and explained the same thing that I told you guys last night," said Ference. "He said the same thing, that it looks awful, obviously. And with this series, the whole year, how it is between the Habs and the Bruins, the fine was acceptable.
"I was pumping my fist," added Ference. "Im not giving anyone the bird or anything like that. Like I told them, it was an unintentional bird. I obviously apologize for it, it wasnt meant to insult anybody, especially a whole row of cameras in the Bell Centre and the fans sitting there. Thats definitely not the intention."
Danny Picard is on Twitter at http:twitter.comDannyPicard. You can listen to Danny on his streaming radio show I'm Just Sayin'Monday-Friday from 9-10 a.m. on CSNNE.com.