“Up in here,’’ said Thomas, pointing to his armpits. “I’ve been wearing the same chest protector for a couple years. I haven’t been injured, but you still take stingers.’’

Considering the speed with which pucks thud against his chest, it’s a wonder Thomas hasn’t been felled by an injury. When Thomas plays his butterfly style, he’s square to shooters, blocking shots with his chest. From what the tank-shaped Thomas understands, he has the biggest chest among NHL goalies, which makes him even more prone to injury.

“I get hit in the armpits and ribs quite a bit,’’ Thomas said. “Plus with my style, I open up. [Martin ] Brodeur does it, too. I’m sure he must get hit there a lot.’’

In equipment terms, Thomas is one of the league’s fussiest goalies. Thomas could never get used to the traditional mask. With help from manufacturer Tony Priolo, Thomas has developed his unique “mage’’ - half-mask, half-cage. Last season against Columbus, after his mask was damaged during a collision, he was forced to wear Manny Fernandez’s headwear. Thomas allowed a goal and said it was difficult getting used to Fernandez’s mask.

When it comes to his chest protector, Thomas is looking for two things: maximum protection, and flexibility so he can remain as mobile as possible.

“It’s a fine line,’’ Thomas said. “I’m a very active goaltender. It still has to be able to move, but it still has to cover the armpit area. Maybe other goalies get dinged in the shoulders, but I seem to get it in the armpit area. And it’s not even in the game so much. A lot of it is in practice.’’

“Raw talent with Mikko, and just a hard-working, go-to-battle type of guy in LoVecchio,’’ Whitfield said. “It was working well for us at the start of the year. It was just a couple weeks, but I think we had some chemistry out there.’’

Lehtonen, the Bruins’ third-round pick in 2005, is considered the higher-end prospect. The 6-foot-3-inch, 196-pounder scored 28 goals as a first-year pro last season. This season, Lehtonen has three goals and six assists in eight games. The 22-year-old Lehtonen is a skilled big man with good wheels and hands - think Blake Wheeler - who projects to be a top-six NHL forward if he can develop some jam to his game and improve his hockey sense.

“Maybe one more year down there,’’ Whitfield said. “He’s a little raw, but his upside is tremendous. He works really hard at his game. But it’s tough. When you’re a young kid, even at the American League level, there are a lot of talented hockey players. You’re playing against men, so it takes a while to adjust.’’

LoVecchio, an undrafted free agent, signed a two-year contract March 18, 2008. Prior to training camp last season, LoVecchio suffered a concussion that knocked him out for the entire year.

This season, the 24-year-old LoVecchio has three goals and two assists in eight games while playing an in-your-face style. The 6-2, 195-pound LoVecchio aims to be an energy wing in the NHL.

“He just battles hard,’’ Whitfield said. “The one thing he probably has to do is think less is more sometimes. He’s go, go, go all the time. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you’ve got to tone it down a little bit and play within the system instead of just running around all the time. That comes with maturity.’’

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.