By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas has posted a message on his Facebook page about his plans for the next year that confirms reports last week he was planning to take next season off.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said last week that Thomas expressed that possibility to the team through his agent.

On Sunday, Thomas posted the following on his Facebook page:

From the earliest age I can remember, I've wanted to be a hockey player. I've been blessed in my life to not only be able to live that dream, but to achieve more than I ever thought possible.

The singleminded focus that is necessary to ac...complish a dream of this magnitude entails (by necessity) sacrifice in other areas and relationships in life.

At the age of 38, I believe it is time to put my time and energies into those areas and relationships that I have neglected. That is why at this time I feel the most important thing I can do in my life is to reconnect with the three F's.

Friends, Family, and Faith.

This is what I plan on doing over the course of the next year.

On top of this, I will continue to train using the ARP/POV system www.ultrafitevosport.com and work with G-Form www.g-form.com in the development of protective equipment.

What does this portend for the future?

We'll see….God's will be done.

TT

Thomas, who won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender in 2009 and 2011, led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011. He has played in 378 games for the Bruins and has a 196-121 record with a .921 career save percentage and 2.48 career goals-against average.

The news means Tuukka Rask will likely become the Bruins' starting goalie next season. However, Chiarelli said last week that the Bruins would still have to carry Thomas's $5 million salary cap hit next season if the goalie did not play. Thomas has one year remaining on a four-year, $20 million contract.

“These things happen. You’ve got to roll with them," Chiarelli said last week. "You’ve got to deal with them. When someone talks about their family, you have to respect that. You’ve got to deal with it. We’re not too disabled on the cap side. But sure, that’s the strength of our team.”

Pictures: Tim Thomas's career highlights

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli confirmed that Tim Thomas is seriously considering not playing in 2012-13. It is Thomas’s last season on his four-year, $20 million contract.

“As of right now, I’m operating under the premise that it is a strong possibility of him taking the year off,” Chiarelli said during a conference call. “We’d have to go about our business without Tim Thomas for the year.”

According to Chiarelli, Thomas conveyed his thoughts through Bill Zito, his agent, sometime in May. Thomas cited fatigue and the desire to spend more time with his family. Thomas and wife Melissa have three children.

If Thomas follows through, the Bruins will most likely suspend the goalie for 2012-13. However, the team must carry Thomas’s $5 million annual cap hit. The team would most likely have to place Marc Savard on long-term injured reserve to negate some of Thomas’s hit. Savard carries an annual hit just north of $4 million.

“I’m disappointed,” said Chiarelli, who acknowledged being surprised by Thomas’s declaration. “These things happen. You’ve got to roll with them. You’ve got to deal with them. When someone talks about their family, you have to respect that. You’ve got to deal with it. We’re not too disabled on the cap side. But sure, that’s the strength of our team.”

Thomas said he hopes to play in the 2014 Olympics. The NHL has not committed to sending its players to the Winter Games.

The Bruins have re-signed Daniel Paille to a three-year, $3.9 million extension. Chris Bourque, acquired last Saturday from Washington for Zach Hamill, has signed a two-year contract. The first year of Bourque’s contract will be a two-way deal when he will make $550,000 in the NHL and $200,000 in Providence. The second year of Bourque’s contract is one-way, when he will earn $550,000 at either level.

Paille was originally acquired from Buffalo on Oct. 20, 2009 for a 2010 third-round pick. Paille was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The fourth-line left wing and penalty-killing specialist scored nine goals and six assists in 69 games in 2011-12. Fourth-line center Gregory Campbell’s contract will expire on July 1.

Bourque could be in the mix for bottom-six NHL duty if he has a strong training camp. Otherwise, Bourque will be the go-to scorer in Providence. Bourque led the AHL in scoring while playing for Hershey this past season.

GM Peter Chiarelli is scheduled to speak during a conference call at 3 p.m. Chiarelli is expected to address ESPN.com’s report on Tim Thomas considering taking 2012-13 off.

Tim Thomas is thinking about taking 2012-13 off, according to TSN. Thomas has one season remaining on his four-year, $20 million contract.

It would be a bizarre decision for the 38-year-old Thomas. The goalie is in good health. If the Bruins don’t deal Thomas this summer, he would form the puckstopping tandem with Tuukka Rask that has been the club’s primary position of strength.

The team has not commented on the report.

Pictures: Tim Thomas's career highlights

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

EA Sports, maker of the popular hockey video game NHL 12, has run a simulation of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals that showed the Los Angeles Kings would beat the New Jersey Devils 4 games to 2.

The simulation engine used by EA correctly predicted the 2010 finals, won by the Blackhawks, and was correct on 13 of 15 playoff matchups in 2011. This time, it predicts the Kings will win Games 1 and 2, then drop Games 3 and 4 before winning 5 and 6 for the title.

The simulation also predicted Kings goalie Jonathan Quick would be the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoffs' most valuable player.

Swedish goalie Niklas Svedberg has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Bruins. Svedberg will most likely start 2012-13 in Providence or Reading as he acclimates to North American hockey.

Svedberg has played for Brynas IF Gavle of the Swedish Elite League. With Svedberg in goal, Brynas won the league title in 2011-12. Svedberg posted four shutouts in 13 postseason games.

During the regular season, Svedberg recorded a 2.47 GAA and a .912 save percentage.

Signing the 6-foot-2, 176-pound Svedberg is the Bruins’ latest step toward life after Tim Thomas. Tuukka Rask projects to be the future No. 1 goalie. But the Bruins are seeking depth to accompany Anton Khudobin, who should be Rask’s primary backup.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

The Bruins have acquired Chris Bourque, son of legendary defenseman Ray Bourque, from the Capitals for Zach Hamill.

Chris Bourque most recently played for Hershey, Washington’s AHL affiliate. Bourque is a fringe NHLer who has appeared in 33 big-league games between Washington and Pittsburgh. Bourque played one year of college hockey at Boston University.

Bourque could be in the mix for a fourth-line energy role if he has a good training camp.

Hamill was the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2007. Hamill would have been a restricted free agent on July 1. It’s possible the Bruins might not have tendered Hamill, making him an unrestricted free agent.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is negotiating with Chris Kelly to re-sign the alternate captain. Kelly is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

“He’s a good, versatile player who had a career year,” Chiarelli said. “He’s a veteran who won a Cup. That’s hard to replace. He’s told me he wants to stay.”

Kelly is coming off a four-year, $8.5 million contract. The 31-year-old would require a raise to re-sign with the Bruins. If Kelly reaches the open market, Ottawa might be interested in bringing back the former Senator. Kelly’s primary residence is in Ottawa.

We’ll have more on Chiarelli’s World Championships experience with Team Canada, his efforts to re-sign other UFAs-to-be, and next month's draft in Sunday’s Globe.

@GlobeFluto

The Bruins may be out of the playoffs, but that doesn't mean Globe hockey writer Kevin Paul Dupont is out of the game. He's been Tweeting like crazy throughout the playoffs, so we set up this post to capture his commentary each night as he watches the games unfold.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Bruins president Cam Neely is among the game’s leaders who want equipment to undergo continual examination in relation to player safety.

“Personally, I’d rather have a player with a separated shoulder than someone with a concussion,” Neely said earlier this month. “I don’t know why it’s that difficult to look at the equipment and say, ‘We really need to do something with the shoulder pads and elbow pads.’”

In the playoffs, the Bruins were without Nathan Horton and Adam McQuaid because of concussions. Marc Savard’s career is most likely over because of his head injuries. It’s difficult to determine whether equipment played a part in each of the player’s concussions.

However, the league, the NHLPA, and equipment manufacturers are regularly examining gear to maximize safety. We’ll have more on equipment in this Sunday’s Globe.

@GlobeFluto

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, principal Charlie Jacobs, and president Cam Neely held a season-ending press conference at TD Garden on Thursday.

“I felt, like everybody, we could have gotten through this [first-round] series,” Neely said. “I don’t think we played our best games at all in the games that we lost. Even in the games we won, I don’t think we played our best hockey. That part is difficult to swallow. We all feel we should still be playing.”

Neely gave his approval to the 2011-12 team’s commitment to defense, goaltending, and five-on-five play. Several times, Neely highlighted the club’s inconsistent power play as the primary soft spot. Neely said the team has the personnel to be more successful on the power play.

“We really need to have a philosophical difference of how we look at the power play,” Neely said. “I don’t just look at the percentage of the power play. I look at when we get power plays, what the score of the game is and what the time of the game is. That’s important. Even more so important than what the actual percentages of the power play. I think we have the personnel so we can improve on the power play. There’s some things we’re certainly going to discuss in the offseason on what we can do differently on the power play. I think it’s an area that absolutely needs improving. We will improve on it.”

* Last week, GM Peter Chiarelli said he did not envision a roster makeover. Neely concurred, saying he liked the team’s current makeup.

* Charlie Jacobs said the organization is exploring options for another practice facility. There is one more year remaining on the team’s deal with Ristuccia Arena. The Wilmington facility is among the league’s more pedestrian practice rinks.

* Neither Jeremy nor Charlie Jacobs would comment on labor negotiations and the next collective bargaining agreement.

Patrice Bergeron played through a strained oblique muscle. Bergeron said he first felt the injury in Game 3. Bergeron aggravated the injury in Game 5, when he was limited to three third-period shifts.

Bergeron will not require surgery.

“It was probably 60 percent. I don’t know exactly. I’m not very good at that,” Bergeron said. “It was just hard to battle – reaching out and trying to battle when my arm was extended. I couldn’t get to full speed. It was always there.”

Bergeron had a scoring chance in overtime of Game 7. Based on replays, GM Peter Chiarelli believed that Bergeron’s injury prevented him from stretching out fully to pursue the puck.

Bergeron also had a broken nose.

* Tim Thomas’s no-movement clause will expire on July 1. The same day, Tuukka Rask will become a restricted free agent. The Bruins could move Thomas and allocate part of his $5 million annual cap hit toward Rask’s next contract. Chiarelli, however, downplayed any possibility of trading Thomas.

“I know I’ve seen speculation about moving a goalie and all that stuff,” Chiarelli said. “Certainly, I’m not inclined to do that. Tim didn’t have, statistically, the year he had the year before. But I thought he had a very good year. We have, if not the best, one of the top two or three goalie tandems in the league.”

* Tyler Seguin will most likely require surgery on his left hand. Seguin was injured on March 15 against Florida. Two days later, Seguin was a game-time decision against Philadelphia, but was able to play. Seguin said the injury didn’t affect his game too much.

* Brian Rolston has not decided on whether he will play again next season. Rolston will reach UFA status on July 1. Rolston said if he doesn't retire, he'd like to be back with the Bruins.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara has been named one of the three finalists for the Norris Trophy. Nashville's Shea Weber and Ottawa's Erik Karlsson are the other two finalists. The award goes to the defenseman who demonstrates the best all-around ability during the regular season.

This is the fourth time in the last five years Chara has been named a finalist. Chara won the Norris Trophy for the first time in 2009. Chara finished third in the voting last year, when Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom won the award.

Chara scored 12 goals and had 40 assists for a career-high 52 points. Chara averaged 25:00 of ice time per game. Chara’s primary responsibility was to serve as a shutdown defenseman against opponents’ top forwards.

The winner will be announced on June 20 in Las Vegas.

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff

With all seven games in the series decided by one goal, it would be dishonest to pick apart the Bruins shortly after their Game 7 loss to the Capitals. The Bruins certainly could have won the series, and a bounce of the puck -- whether squarely onto Patrice Bergeron's stick or deftly away from Mike Knuble -- could have given the Bruins the win. But there are some reasons why the Bruins, the defending Stanley Cup champions and the conference's No. 2 seed, never took control of the series. Here's a glance at what went wrong, and some things the Bruins might be able to improve in the offseason.

1. The Capitals:

Give Washington credit. They didn't play like a No. 7 seed. The Bruins knew the Capitals were going to throw top-line talent at them, and for the most part they held Alexander Ovechkin (2 goals, 3 assists) in check. Where Washington excelled was making it difficult for the Bruins to get quality shots. You can blame the Bruins for not getting more chances in front of the net, but the Capitals had a lot to do with it.

2. Tim Thomas wasn't perfect:

Expecting Thomas to replicate his 1.98 goals against average and .940 save percentage from last postseason was unrealistic, but some Bruins fans probably still expected Thomas to bail them out. The Bruins goalie let in some "bad" shots during this seven-game series, something we didn't see last year. Thomas wasn't bad (.923, 2.14), but he didn't steal any games, either.

3. The power play:

This again? The Bruins were 0 for 3 on the power play Wednesday night, including one at the end of regulation that should have given them a chance to win. Instead, the Bruins proved what many fans were thinking: they'd rather see the team go 5 on 5. The Bruins went 2 for 23 on the power play in the series, a dismal 8.7 percent.

"Somehow it doesn’t seem good enough," Bruins coach Claude Julien said of his power play. "There’s a lot of things that have to be worked out."

4. Bergeron's injury:

Bergeron didn't get a good stick on the puck in the first scoring chance of overtime, and the Bruins gave up the winning goal a short time later. Bergeron usually makes that play. He also usually takes faceoffs, but he wasn't able to with his undisclosed injury. The Bruins won 46 percent of faceoffs without Bergeron in Game 7.

5. The Stanley Cup hangover:

Throw out the theories about the Bruins playing so many games last season and having tired legs this year. They had plenty of time to get healthy physically. But the mental toll of winning the Stanley Cup -- and three Game 7s -- was a factor this season.

"Even getting into these playoffs, it seems like just yesterday we'd gone through it," said Julien. "The whole year has been a mental challenge for our guys."

6. Losing on home ice:

This is a pretty simple one. The Bruins went 1-3 on their home ice in the series, which isn't going to get it done against any opponent. They showed grit to win Game 6 on the road, but they could have avoided the stress of later in the series had they won more at home.

7. They needed more from their best players:

Tyler Seguin showed unbelievable grit with his goal in the second period of Game 7. Seguin did his best Trot Nixon impression, scuffing and scratching his way to the puck to put home a rebound through two defensemen. Seguin also won Game 6 with a goal. But the rest of the Bruins' big guns came up short in the series. Bergeron's injury was undoubtedly a factor. David Krejci and Milan Lucic finished with three points each in the series, while Brad Marchand finished with two. If your stars aren't stars, it's difficult to beat a good team.

Why do you think the Bruins fell short? Leave a comment.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

It's not surprising that the Bruins locker room was quiet after a loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 7 knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs.

Johnny Boychuk, Dennis Seidenberg, and Zdeno Chara -- the defensive rocks of the team for most of the season -- stood in and took questions for what must have seemed like an agonizingly long time. With only those three players available for most of the open locker room period, the players were left to answer questions for about 15 minutes each.

At one point, Boychuk took a break during one of his answers and let the moment settle in.

"We didn't underestimate them at all," Boychuk said of the Capitals, before trailing off and neglecting to finish his answer to a reporter's question. Asked about whether the loss had sunk in, Boychuk said, "We're used to going all the way. To be done now, it's kind of hard."

Patrice Bergeron, who missed a chance early in overtime that could have given the Bruins the win, still had his skates on as he answered questions first in French, then in English. Bergeron had a chance in front of the net in OT, but he couldn't quite get his stick on the puck.

"It kind of exploded," said Bergeron. "Just rolled on my stick and the puck was bouncing. I just tried to go quick because obviously there wasn’t a lot of time, and the puck wouldn’t settle.

Both Bergeron and Claude Julien refused to comment on the extent of Bergeron's injury.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

The Bruins saw their Stanley Cup title defense come to an end Wednesday night with a 2-1, overtime loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of a first-round playoff series at TD Garden.

A bad line change by the Bruins proved to be the difference, as Washington's Mike Knuble intercepted a clearing pass from Benoit Pouliout and raced up the ice with the puck early in the overtime period. Knuble put a shot on net, and the rebound was put home by Washington's Joel Ward just 2:57 into the extra frame. The Capitals celebrated along the side boards, while a stunned Bruins crowd was forced to contemplate the end of their team's season.

Matt Hendricks scored the game's first goal for Washington, and Tyler Seguin scored a gritty goal in the second period for the Bruins.

--------------

17:03: And a turnover kills the Bruins. Joel Ward gets the game-winner. The defending Stanley Cup champions are eliminated.

19:06: Patrice Bergeron with a great chance in front, but his rebound attempt is blocked. Crowd thought they had a game-winner.

OVERTIME:

End regulation: Bruins were outshot, 12-6, in the third period. We've got sudden-death hockey in a Game 7.

2:26: Jason Chimera takes down Johnny Boychuk from behind. Two minutes for holding. Bruins power play with a chance to win.

3:58: Four minutes left in a Game 7. Both teams gassed after a furious rush. A minute to relax here.

6:44: Bruins kill it off and even get a 2-on-1 rush the other way. Great penalty kill. Building goes from hear a pin drop to loud.

9:00: Bergeron called for hooking. Two minutes. Going to be a nervous building.

9:45: Hard slap shot by Troy Brouwer is stopped by Thomas. One of his 17 saves.

13:00: Shots on goal now 27-15 in favor of the Bruins. It takes guts for the Capitals defensemen to keep getting in the way of these Boychuk shots.

15:38: A minute late on this, but no luck on the power play. Bruins now 2 for 22.

18:42: Former Whaler Roman Hamrlik called for holding the stick of Milan Lucic. Bruins power play.

THIRD PERIOD:

END second: Much better period for the Bruins in terms of quality chances. Rich Peverley again gets in Braden Holtby's face as time expires. Both teams trying to do the little things to gain an edge.

1:06: Fans behind the Capitals net now taunting Braden Holtby after Holtby pushes Rich Peverley in the back after the play. Peverley fakes a slash back at Holtby.

5:33, Bruins 1, Capitals 1: Tyler Seguin evens the score. Seguin worked hard in front to get free of Karl Alzner and tip the puck in after Johnny Boychuk's shot absolutely ate up Braden Holtby. Tremendous effort from Seguin, and a great shot by Boychuk.

12:41: Benoit Pouliot feeds Chris Kelly in front of the net, but Pouliot leads Kelly a bit too much and can't connect with Kelly's stick. Fans wanted a penalty on the Capitals' defenseman on the play.

15:23: Bruins are out-shooting the Caps, 13-8, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

SECOND PERIOD:

END first: The Bruins frittered away all but 10 seconds of their power play without success. They're down a goal as we head to the second period. The Bruins are 1-0 this postseason when trailing after the first period. They were 8-19-1 on the season.

1:50: Jeff Schultz trips up Brad Marchand, who was skating 1 on 3. Bruins get their first power play of the game. They're for 2 for 20 so far in the series.

8:37, 1-0, Capitals: Milan Lucic turns it over, and John Carlson puts a shot on net that appeared to be deflected, though it may have been off a Bruin. Tough break for Lucic on a puck that hopped his stick. Tough break for Thomas on the deflection. Jason Chimera gets the assist.

10:38: Bruins are really working it now. A Rajon Rondo-esque pass by David Krejci behind his back finds a cutting Tyler Seguin, but Seguin makes one too many passes. A blast from Chara eats up Holtby, but he's able to make the save.

14:32: Some good work by the Bruins on that last shift sending bodies to the net. Shots are 4-2, Boston, and they've had some decent chances. It's a positive sign that the shots aren't being taken from the blue line.

19:20: Bruins fans chanting "Hooooltby" in an attempt to get the young Capitals goalie off his game.

FIRST PERIOD

Pregame: Bruins flags flying on pickup trucks in the Tip O'Neill Tunnel. Packed house at TD Garden. Game 7 starts shortly.

Mike Motteau and Jordan Caron are in the lineup for the Bruins. That means Joe Corvo and Shawn Thornton are out.

Based on pregame warmups:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Jordan Caron

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Greg Zanon-Mike Mottau

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Based on pregame warmups:

Alex Ovechkin-Brooks Laich-Troy Brouwer
Marcus Johansson-Nicklas Backstrom-Alexander Semin
Jason Chimera-Jay Beagle-Matt Hendricks
Mike Knuble-Keith Aucoin-Joel Ward

Karl Alzner-John Carlson
Roman Hamrlik-Mike Green
Jeff Schultz-Dennis Wideman

Braden Holtby
Michal Neuvirth

Go behind the scenes for a closer look at Rene Rancourt, the Bruins' national anthem singer for more than 30 years.

Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will attempt to advance to the second round by beating the Capitals tonight.

This will be the fifth Game 7 in the last seven series for the Bruins. As colleague Kevin Dupont wrote in today’s Globe, there will be handshakes tonight.

Puck drop: 7:30 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Capitals 3-3, Bruins 3-3

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Greg Zanon-Mike Mottau

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratches: Jordan Caron, Joe Corvo, Andrew Bodnarchuk

Projected Capitals lineup:

Alex Ovechkin-Brooks Laich-Marcus Johansson
Jason Chimera-Nicklas Backstrom-Alexander Semin
Matt Hendricks-Jay Beagle-Troy Brouwer
Mike Knuble-Keith Aucoin-Joel Ward

Karl Alzner-John Carlson
Roman Hamrlik-Mike Green
Jeff Schultz-Dennis Wideman

Braden Holtby
Michal Neuvirth

Healthy scratches: Mathieu Perreault, Dmitry Orlov, John Erskine

Storylines: There could be a game-time decision on the 12th forward spot. Jordan Caron and Shawn Thornton alternated shifts on the fourth line during the morning skate… Patrice Bergeron missed Tuesday’s practice, but participated in today’s morning skate. Bergeron might be limited on faceoffs once more. If so, Rich Peverley will take the draws… If the Bruins win tonight, they will have to wait until tomorrow’s results to determine their second-round opponent. They cannot play New Jersey… Stephen Walkom and Eric Furlatt will be the referees. Greg Devorski and Steve Barton will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto