Panthers Vs Wild: 5 Things To Watch

Oct 17, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Boston Bruins goalie

(40) and Florida Panthers goalie Tim Thomas (34) talk before a game at BB&T Center. USA TODAY Sports

4) Tim Thomas

On Thursday night, Tim Thomas returned from a groin injury to start in net against his former team, the Boston Bruins.  Thomas was excellent, stopping 37 of 40 shots and it was the first time that I really got just how talented a goaltender he really  is. The crazy thing is, Thursday night was not Thomas at the top of his game, he still has a little rust to shake off. There were plenty of rebounds that were too juicy and the picky fan would point out that some of the Bruins goals, the game winner especially, were absolutely savable shots.

All this just gets me excited for the rest of the season with Thomas in net. Thursday was the first time in a long time that I felt confident in a Panthers goalie. Way more importantly than how I felt, it was noticeable that the Panther players felt comfortable with their goalie for a change and that level of comfort helped them play a more aggressive game.

So far, it looks like Thomas will not let his age and his time off hold him back. Health pending, he will be a steadying presence in the net for the Panthers. If Thomas can play tonight against the Wild like he did Thursday against the Bruins, then the Panthers should be in pretty good shape.