Canucks Upset With Thomas' Style Of Play
BOSTON (CBS) -With Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas stopping all but five of the 108 shots that have come his way, people say he has been playing out of his mind during the Stanley Cup finals.
But the Vancouver Canucks feel he is playing too far out of his net and making too much contact.
"Part of Thomas' way of playing is playing out of the blue paint, initiating contact, roaming out there," said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. "He seems to think that once he's out, set, makes the save, that he can go directly back in his net without having anybody behind him. Well, that's wrong. He's got the wrong rule on that. If we're behind him, that's our ice and we're allowed to stay there."
"I will tell you, everybody is aware of it, we talked to it prior to this series, about the way he plays," he said. "We got clarification on what is allowable as far as him coming back in his net after he's out five or ten feet past the blue paint. Hopefully everything will get sorted out on the ice."
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Vingneault feels Thomas is getting away with too much contact, and took exception to the Game 3 check by the Bruins netminder.
"We've talked to the NHL about him initiating contact like did on Hank," Vigneault said. "They're aware of it. Hopefully they're going to handle it."
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Although Vingneault is upset with the hit, Sedin was in the crease and had the puck in his hand when Thomas laid him out in Game 3. And according to Rule 69 of the NHL Rule Book, that's completely legal.
"Does that go in the stats," the Canucks coach asked with a grin.
98.5 The Sports Hub is the only local station to listen to every game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Coverage begins an hour before each game with the Bruins Pregame show hosted by Dave Goucher & Bob Beers.
