(Reuters) - The Boston Bruins lauded Tim Thomas on Friday after the veteran goaltender completed his second shutout of the series against Tampa Bay to help Boston advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1990.
The Bruins beat the Lightning 1-0 on Nathan Horton's goal with less than eight minutes remaining to edge the Eastern Conference finals by a 4-3 margin.
Thomas, a 37-year-old U.S. Olympian nicknamed "The Tank," also shut out Tampa Bay in Game Three of the series on May 19.
"He's not getting any younger, right? But one think I can say is he's getting better," Boston head coach Claude Julien said of his goalkeeper.
Thomas said the win felt like an incredible team effort. "We've just got such great character on this team. We got it done."
Thomas' team mates continued to heap praise on their goalie.
"He is definitely going to win a Vezina this year," said Bruins forward Milan Lucic, referring to NHL's trophy for the season's best goaltender. "Hats off to Timmy, playing as well as he has."
The Bruins, who last lifted NHL's biggest prize in 1972, will face the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the best-of-seven finals, setting up an emotional trip home for the 22-year-old Lucic.
"Just to make the Stanley Cup finals is a dream come true, but to be able to play in your home town makes it extra special," Lucic said.
Boston out-shot the Lightning 38-24 and Julien said the key was that the team did not get frustrated after dominating for the first two periods without making a breakthrough.
"I could hear what they were talking about in the dressing room and it was bang-on. The guys had the right mind-set tonight. They stuck with it," Julien added.
"I couldn't have asked for a better game from our team in a Game Seven."
Right-winger Horton, 25, has scored two of the three series-clinching goals for Boston in this year's playoff run. He put the Bruins over the top against Montreal in the first round, also a Game Seven victory.
"Horton has played like a big game player. Overtime goals and Game Seven goals. He's kept a lot of energy and a lot of excitement to go out there and play the way he did," Julien said.
Friday was a rarity: the first penalty-free NHL playoff game in at least 20 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. "I think both teams were very disciplined tonight," Julien added.
The Bruins beat the Lightning 1-0 on Nathan Horton's goal with less than eight minutes remaining to edge the Eastern Conference finals by a 4-3 margin.
Thomas, a 37-year-old U.S. Olympian nicknamed "The Tank," also shut out Tampa Bay in Game Three of the series on May 19.
"He's not getting any younger, right? But one think I can say is he's getting better," Boston head coach Claude Julien said of his goalkeeper.
Thomas said the win felt like an incredible team effort. "We've just got such great character on this team. We got it done."
Thomas' team mates continued to heap praise on their goalie.
"He is definitely going to win a Vezina this year," said Bruins forward Milan Lucic, referring to NHL's trophy for the season's best goaltender. "Hats off to Timmy, playing as well as he has."
The Bruins, who last lifted NHL's biggest prize in 1972, will face the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the best-of-seven finals, setting up an emotional trip home for the 22-year-old Lucic.
"Just to make the Stanley Cup finals is a dream come true, but to be able to play in your home town makes it extra special," Lucic said.
Boston out-shot the Lightning 38-24 and Julien said the key was that the team did not get frustrated after dominating for the first two periods without making a breakthrough.
"I could hear what they were talking about in the dressing room and it was bang-on. The guys had the right mind-set tonight. They stuck with it," Julien added.
"I couldn't have asked for a better game from our team in a Game Seven."
Right-winger Horton, 25, has scored two of the three series-clinching goals for Boston in this year's playoff run. He put the Bruins over the top against Montreal in the first round, also a Game Seven victory.
"Horton has played like a big game player. Overtime goals and Game Seven goals. He's kept a lot of energy and a lot of excitement to go out there and play the way he did," Julien said.
Friday was a rarity: the first penalty-free NHL playoff game in at least 20 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. "I think both teams were very disciplined tonight," Julien added.
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