Steve Thomas needed this to happen. For himself as much as for Toronto.
After experiencing the worst season of his 17-year NHL career, Thomas, the 37-year-old right wing, had a lot to prove last night against his former team. He knew it was time to show he still belonged.
So when he scored his first goal of the playoffs last night, Thomas felt a huge sense of relief.
“It’s gratifying to score,” Thomas said after the Maple Leafs took the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 2-0 victory against the Devils. “I felt that because of my regular season this year – it didn’t go that well – there was an opportunity for me to have some redemption.”
Thomas earned that feeling when he beat Martin Brodeur from a sharp angle at 9:09 of the second period for the Leafs’ second goal.
His hard wrist shot was set up when the puck deflected to him off of a skate of former teammate Scott Stevens.
Considering the season he had (eight goals, 28 assists in 57 games), which included missing 22 games with a knee injury, Thomas said he was almost surprised it went in. Had it been during the season, he said, “It would’ve hit the knob of [Brodeur’s stick].”
Instead, it got through, giving him some rare satisfaction, and his second point of the playoffs.
“I got myself very much ready to play in the playoffs,” Thomas said. “You just want to compete and be a good player out there and not be a liability.”
Having played from 1995-98 for the Devils, Thomas admitted that winning this series would be extra special. Moreover, he can’t help but remember how the Devils shut him down in last year’s playoff meeting.
“This would be very gratifying to beat the Devils,” he said. “Not because I played here before but because it’s such a tremendous challenge for our team. It’s a good feeling, especially being up a game right now and knowing that we’re going to come out and have that confidence.”
As for his goal, he said with a smile, “It’s fun to score. It’s always fun to score and it’s fun to contribute to a win.”