Switch pulled, power still out
Change in goal didn't spark team
At 6:41 of the second period, after New York forward Petr Prucha had scored his second goal to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead, Tim Thomas glanced at the high-definition scoreboard to see how the puck eluded his grasp.
As Thomas looked up, he caught a sight he didn't expect to see: backup goalie Hannu Toivonen pulling on his mask and rolling over the boards.
"It never even crossed my mind," said Thomas (12 saves on 15 shots, 26:41) of getting yanked. "I was totally surprised when I looked up and saw Hannu on the ice."
Prucha, who had taken a pass from forward Jed Ortmeyer, had his blade open at an angle that indicated he was going high on Thomas. So the netminder had his glove ready and lifted his leg.
"Somehow, he keeps it lower, goes off my pad, and still goes in," said Thomas.
That was all coach Dave Lewis had to see.
"It was the right thing to do at that time," said Lewis. "We're looking for saves -- the save we didn't get -- so I had to change."
It was an unfortunate fate for Thomas, who was pulled for the sixth time this season. New York scored its first goal when Prucha bounced a puck off Patrice Bergeron's skate. In the second period, defenseman Michal Rozsival went five-hole on Thomas.
Toivonen's luck wasn't any better. Forward Matt Cullen, all alone in front, roofed a shorthanded goal over Toivonen (11 saves on 14 shots), making it a 4-1 game.
"I felt bad for Hannu, because then he gets in there and the first goal he gets is pretty tough to stop," Thomas said.
"A lot of times when you change a goalie, you're trying to stop the momentum of the game. It possibly worked there for a while. They did get goals in the third, but it did slow down enough to the point where we stayed in the game and had a chance to come back. So maybe it did what it was supposed to do."
Toivonen will start tonight against Buffalo, a decision Lewis had made prior to last night's loss.
"I don't know what to do," said Boyes. "I've tried different things. I've talked to different people."
Lewis has met with him one-on-one. Boyes has studied video. The latest move was to yank Boyes off the No. 2 line, where he had been skating on the right wing with longtime partners Marco Sturm and Bergeron, and shift him to center on the fourth line. Last night was the sixth game in a row that Boyes started on the fourth line, skating his natural center position.
"He hasn't played this season with a lot of confidence," said Lewis. "I think in areas he could work harder and be more physical. When he does that, he gets himself into the game. He's got a great shot. He could shoot the puck more."
Earlier this year, Boyes (8-18--26) suffered from back spasms that left him unable to complete one game against the Washington Capitals. Boyes said he's feeling fine physically. His head, however, is nowhere near where he wants it to be.
"It's such a big mental game," Boyes said. "That's what I'm realizing now. I've never gone through this. Not to press is tough. The biggest thing is to go back to basics and just put pucks on net -- doesn't matter how hard or soft."
Boyes wasn't the only Bruin changing lines. In the second and third periods, Lewis replaced Stanislav Chistov on the No. 2 line with Phil Kessel. P.J. Axelsson, dropped in favor of Boyes, skated on the third line with Wayne Primeau and Shean Donovan.
