Linus Ullmark on the Verge of Breaking Tim Thomas' NHL Record
Several outstanding goaltenders have come to Boston throughout the franchise's history, and Linus Ullmark may just be putting together the best single-season performance Bruins' fans have ever seen.
Surpassing a Bruins Legend Between the Pipes
Former Bruins favourite, Tim Thomas, had the best season by an NHL goaltender in the modern era; however, according to MoneyPuck.com, Ullmark is on the verge of beating his historic campaign. Thomas finished the 2010-11 season with a Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) of 39.6, and with only 10 games remaining, Ullmark is right on his heels:
For reference of how much the league has changed, Thomas finished 2011 13.7 ahead of the next contending goalie, which was Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes with a 25.9 GSAx. While Ullmark has Juuse Saros and Ilya Sorokin within six points of him.
Hoping For the Same Results
We all know how that year ended for Boston, too, and it was a good one. Thomas continued his torrid stretch right through the postseason, all the way to a Stanley Cup Championship and a Conn Smythe for playoff MVP. He would also go on to win the Vezina Trophy with the following regular season stats.
*2010-11 Tim Thomas:
35-11-9 record, 2.00 GAA, .938 SV% and 9 shutouts.
*2022-23 Linus Ullmark:
36-5-1 record, 1.92 GAA, .937 SV% and 2 shutouts (plus a goalie goal)
Of course, the season's not over yet, as Ullmark and the Bruins have a lot more they would like to accomplish. Just like us fans, we're all hoping for the same results as 2011.
| POLL | ||
Who had the better season? | ||
| Ullmark (2022-23) | 175 | 75.1 % |
| Thomas (2010-11) | 58 | 24.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
