BOSTON –– When the Hurricanes’ Scott Walker chipped the puck past Bruins goalie Tim Thomas at 18:46 of overtime, Boston’s exceptional season came to an end in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Garden.

It was a tough play for Thomas, who finished the night with 34 saves. No one is to blame for this stunning loss, especially the goaltender.

“I saw the (Ray Whitney) coming down the wing winding up for the shot. He took the shot. I made the save and the rebound went up in the air and I couldn’t completely control it. Obviously, it was in a spot where I couldn’t suck it in. Before I knew it, (Walker) had already whacked at it. I didn’t see him coming to the net, I was too focused on just making the save on the shot.”

 It was clear players on both teams were running on fumes and in the Bruins locker room afterward, no one was about to point the finger at Thomas. After all, he's the favorite for the Vezina Trophy, which is given to the league’s outstanding goaltender.

“Timmy has been great all year for us,” said Bergeron. “He always gave us a chance to win and he did the same in the playoffs. We all hope he gets that trophy because he deserves it.”

Thomas was clearly exhausted. He was drained. It was obvious he was running the final goal through his mind at an uncontrollable speed when asked to describe what happened.

“Obviously I’m disappointed. I’m pretty tired. That’s about it,” he said.

When Thomas was going through the line after Carolina dismissed the Bruins, Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward told Thomas, “You have my vote for the Vezina.”

Thomas has come a long way.

It was late March of the 2001-02 season for the Boston Bruins when a  not-so-fresh-faced kid in a suit stood on the ninth level of the then-FleetCenter.

Tim Thomas was 28 years old and had just returned from playing in Finland. He was back home in Michigan when the Bruins called him and told him to come to Boston. Already property of the Bruins after he signed as free agent in 2001, Thomas didn’t know where his professional career was heading.

It began with the P-Bruins. He was there to replace both P-Bruins goaltenders Andrew Raycroft and Jeff Maund at the end of the regular season. Thomas lasted only one practice because he blew out his knee.

It seemed like something was always holding him back. It was either injuries or the fact that he wasn’t given a shot, or when he was given a chance, the faith factor was lower than his current goals-against average (1.80).

Thomas was low man on the depth chart. Imagine that? At different points of his career in the Bruins organization, Thomas played behind guys such as (in no particular order) Raycroft, Maund, John Grahame, Jeff Hackett, Hannu Toivonen, Felix Potvin and Steve Shields.

Oh, how things have changed.

Thomas has led the Bruins to the playoffs the last two seasons and has become a hockey household name in New England. He deserves it.

At the age of 35, he led the NHL in goals-against average (2.10) and save percentage (.933) this season, and set a new career-high in wins with a 36-11-7 record. He was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender.

 When Garden public address announcer Jim Martin introduced the starting lineups for Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Thursday night, Thomas received the loudest ovation. The man who was originally selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the ninth round, 217th overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft deserves that type of ovation.

The Bruins would not have had the success they did this season without the outstanding play of Thomas. He would also be the first to tell you it’s the players around him who make him look good.

The person who probably knows Thomas the best in the hockey world is New York Islanders head coach Scott Gordon. A former P-Bruins head coach and assistant coach, Gordon was at that first practice when Thomas blew out his knee. Thomas had the drive and determination then, and still does.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed from Providence, even before that, and up to now, he’s one of the most competitive guys who plays net that you’ll ever find,” said Gordon. “Never mind games — he treats the practices like it’s the playoffs, and he’s always been that way.

“That’s probably one of the reasons why he’s been able to do as well as he has at such an older age, because of the fact he never took anything for granted,” Gordon added. “He was like that from Day One the first day I saw him practice.”

Thomas’ game has changed a little. If it’s even possible, he’s less animated in the net. He was not afraid to play the puck and could get overly aggressive when he returned to North America. Now he’s more in control.  

His road to the NHL  has been filled with more divots than a Rhode Island highway in the spring. Time and again, he’s proven the naysayers wrong.

 He played 35 games for the P-Bruins during the 2002-2003 season, the same year he made his NHL debut with the Bruins. He spent all of 2003-2004 in Providence and decided to return to Finland the following season during the NHL lockout.

It was there where he became a hockey god.

Thomas was named the MVP of the Finnish League after posting a 34-13-7 record with a 1.58 goals-against average and 15 shutouts. Entering the 2005-2006 season, the Bruins  promised him he would be playing in Boston, but at the end of training camp he was sent to Providence. He was not happy about it. He played 26 games for Providence before his recall to Boston on Jan. 10.

 He’s been there ever since.

Now he’s become one of the premiere goaltenders in the NHL, and the Bruins finally rewarded him with a long-term deal last month. It was a smart move on management’s part at the time, especially with the postseason ready to begin.

“He’s a guy who did it the hard way, going to Europe, playing in the minor leagues and making it to the NHL at age 28. That’s the hard way to do it,” Gordon said. “Guys who are usually 28 can go in and play short term, but the fact that now he’s been able to, not just have a good season and play for a first-place team, but to be considered one of the best in the league, I think that speaks volumes about what he’s had to do to get the success and keep it.”

The Bruins slogan for the 2008-2009 season has been “We Want It.” Thomas has always played with that mentality even when no one believed he would be the guy between the pipes for the Bruins during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals.

“It was a good ride. It seems so long ago, but it was only seven months ago a lot of people were picking us to barely make the playoffs and some thought we overachieved the year before by making the playoffs. So it was a great ride for the whole year. This is not the way we envisioned it ending.”