After mixing an injury with a few rocky starts, Tim Thomas needed the kind of night he generated against Minnesota on Saturday, as he stopped 30 out of 31 shots to help the Florida Panthers top the Wild 2-1 (SO). Panthers GM Dale Tallon told the Miami Herald that Thomas already had enough with losing - and that attitude makes all the difference.
“He’s not used to this. And let me tell you something, this guy is a winner,” Tallon said. “When we talked to him in the summer, that’s the first thing that jumped out. He wants to win and he battles. He’s a difference maker and he gives our guys some confidence out there. He’s a champion. He’s what we need.”
Really, the 39-year-old showed that competitive edge in his return from a lower-body injury against his former team the Boston Bruins on Thursday, even though he lost. Thomas stopped 37 out of 40 shots but the Panthers fell short 3-2.
It shouldn’t be too shocking to hear that he’s getting his legs under him when you consider the fact that he’s stopped 67 of 71 shots in the last two contests.
“I’m feeling more comfortable there, feeling progressively better,” Thomas said.
The Panthers might just get progressively better with him.
