Despite Loss, Tim Thomas Feels Strong Playing in First Game Since Hip Surgery

BOSTON — There weren't many positives for the Bruins to take out of Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Washington at the Garden, but at least they can take some comfort from knowing they didn't add to their already significant injury list, and actually got one key player back.

There was a scare late in the second period when forward Blake Wheeler stumbled awkwardly after nearly scoring off a nice feed from Tyler Seguin. Wheeler skated gingerly to the bench and walked down the runway with the trainer, but returned to play in the third.

"I just got the wind knocked out of me," said Wheeler. "It always looks worse than it is. I think having the puck bounce on me and missing a chance like that probably hurt more."

Goalie Tim Thomas also made it through his first game of the season with no ill effects to his surgically-repaired hip, though his goal-against average wasn't as fortunate.

"The hip and legs feel pretty good," said Thomas. "Overall I felt pretty good. I didn't get the results I wanted obviously, but I passed the physical tests."

Thomas allowed four goals on 24 shots, but didn't have a chance on most of them as the Bruins struggled mightily as a team throughout the loss.

"It was a 4-1 loss, but Timmy is certainly not the guy to blame for that," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "For his first game back he was pretty good. He challenged the puck well, and the goals they had I don't think he had much help. So I'm happy with his game."

Thomas was just happy to be in a game. He last played back on April 11 — against the Capitals that day as well — before serving as Tuukka Rask's backup throughout the playoffs. He then underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip in the offseason, and did not dress in Boston's first four exhibition games as he recovered.

"I'm game rusty, but as far as practicing, I got just as much practice as anyone last year," said Thomas. "I haven't had as much time off as maybe it seems."

Still, getting in a game was a important for the veteran netminder.

"It was definitely a big step forward," said Thomas. "I got to practice playing the puck a lot when we had all those penalties and they were icing it. That's a good thing. That's another thing that's really hard to recreate in practice. All the traffic – there's 10 bodies on the ice. That's hard to simulate in practice."

And the wear and tear on his hip is also hard to simulate in a practice, but Thomas stated he felt no issues with the hip after playing.

"I think I'd be feeling something now if there was going to be a problem, and I don't feel anything," said Thomas. "In some ways it's a joint, so it needs to loosen up, and having played a whole game in some ways it feels a lot better."