Goalie Tim Thomas making the difference for the Bruins

Poise and sound mechanics are considered prerequisites for the prototypical goalie, which would seem to leave Tim Thomas out of the conversation.

Yet, it's likely to be Thomas accepting the Vezina Trophy for the second time in three seasons when the NHL hands out its hardware in June.

Poise? Thomas plays with a controlled fury. Rather than just stop the puck, he seems intent on mutilating the thing. The few times the puck gets past him, he sweeps it out of the net as if someone dropped food on his new carpet.

Mechanics? What mechanics? When the Flyers talked about Thomas before the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins started, they characterized him as unpredictable, unorthodox, tough to read.

The Flyers also were well aware that Thomas was the one guy who would be the biggest difference between the Bruins of last year, the team that coughed up a three-games-to-none lead, and the Bruins of now.

Unfortunately for the Flyers, Thomas proved them correct with a brilliant performance in Boston's 3-2 overtime victory Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers fired 54 shots at Thomas. James van Riemsdyk beat him on the Flyers' first shot of the night. After van Riemsdyk scored his second goal later in the first, Thomas slammed the door and turned away the next 46 shots.

If you weren't named van Riemsdyk, you didn't score on Thomas.

"You know, Timmy made not one, two, or three, but he made a lot of phenomenal saves just to keep us in the game because they were playing really well," Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk said. "Timmy just stood on his head for us, and that is why he's one of the top goalies in the league."

Van Riemsdyk was outstanding, steaming down the left wing time after time. He got off eight shots. Flyers captain Mike Richards had a game-high 10 shots, several of them prime scoring chances. But Thomas was the best player on the ice, and he's the reason why the 2-0 series deficit the Flyers face seems so much more difficult to overcome than last year's 3-0.

Thomas got better as the loosely played, fast-paced game progressed. The Flyers dominated the third period, blasting 22 shots at the 37-year-old late bloomer. It's the most shots the Flyers ever squeezed off in one period during a home playoff game. It wasn't enough.

In overtime, the Flyers fired 10 more shots at Thomas. Richards was desperately whacking at the puck from the blue paint in front of the net. Thomas fought him off.

Thomas sent a strong message to his teammates Monday night. It went something like this: Things will be different this time.