On May 6, 2010, the Bruins led the Flyers 3-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. While this year's Bruins team has only about half of those players who let that 3-0 lead slip away last year, the biggest difference is in the one man who stands on the ice for the entirety of the game.
That man, of course, is Tim Thomas, who's been the Bruins' MVP all year long and continues to dazzle in the playoffs. Last year at this time, though, he was spending his nights sitting on the bench, watching Tuukka Rask allow 15 goals in the four losses to Philadelphia. Thomas was injured, and he was 36 years old, and there weren't many people who could have foreseen his stellar 2010-11 campaign coming.
But still, the hockey world knew what Thomas was capable of, and it knew that he was just one year removed from a Vezina season in Boston. Because of that potential, Thomas became the subject of numerous trade rumors, but because of those concerns, he was not the subject of any trades.
And right about now, Philadelphia probably wishes it could go back in time to make a deal.
Though his $5 million cap hit through 2013 would have been a tough pill for any team to swallow, he's proven that value 10 times over this season. He posted a ridiculous 2.00 goals-against average and .938 save percentage, setting an NHL record in the process. In Game 2 against the Flyers, he turned in one of the most impressive performances you'll ever see, stopping 52 Flyers shots and 46 in a row after falling behind early.
And that, as much as anything else, has to have the Flyers kicking themselves for not making a stronger bid for Thomas last summer.
There were rumors that the Flyers would possibly trade Simon Gagne to Boston for Thomas, as both players had comparable cap hits. The Bruins, though, wanted Jeff Carter instead, according to the whispers, who was younger and, in many ways, better.
We'll never know how seriously Peter Chiarelli talked with Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, and we'll never know just how willing Chiarelli would have been to trading Thomas. But based on several reports, we know Holmgren at least kicked the tires on adding a 36-year-old goalie. Instead, Holmgren shipped Gagne to Tampa in exchange for Matt Walker and a fourth-round draft pick.
Now, the Flyers are left without an NHL-caliber goalie, in the time of year that you can't even compete without one. They're learning that the hard way. Sergei Bobrovsky will likely start in Game 4 against Boston, but at this point, the damage has been done. Brian Boucher, through three games, has an .846 save percentage and 5.18 GAA. Bobrovsky has been a little better in limited action, with an .875 save percentage and 3.20 GAA, but the Flyers seem to know they can't count on him or anyone else to lead them back from a 3-0 deficit.
Even the guy who did it last year, Michael Leighton, doesn't believe it possible, as he's not even sticking around to watch the rest of the series.
The Flyers have a lot of things working against them, including Chris Pronger's injury, but the most glaring issue is obviously goaltending. The offseason will be here soon for Philly, where the players, coaches and executives will look to the future to try to figure out how to bring a Cup to Philadelphia.
It'll be hard to look ahead, though, without looking back to last summer, when they could have made a stronger push to land Tim Thomas. It was a non-move that altered the course of two franchises this season, and depending on the events of the next few weeks, could have an impact on NHL history.
