Tim Thomas vs Sergei Bobrovsky

[BlueBull]

Who has been the better goalie?
Both have 2 Vezina Trophies in their Career... only 22 Goalies In NHL History have such a distinction of 2+ Vezinas and they are two of just three goalies who have done such Since Hasek last won the Vezina (Brodeur has 4, first in 2003)

Tim Thomas has 214 Wins and 31 Shutouts in 426 Games with 2 Vezinas and 1 Stanley Cup
Sergei Bobrovsky has 255 Wins and 33 Shutouts in 457 Games with 2 Vezinas.

Which Goalie has been better? and If Bobrovsky Wins a cup, does that change your opinion on Bobrovsky vs Thomas?
Let's Discuss!

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[Mr Tadakichi]

Thomas. He was probably as close to Hasek in the playoffs as you can get in terms of carrying his team through some rough patches.

Bob is playing well right now, but his team is also.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Timmy was also a lights out playoff goalie with an all time Smythe run (.933/2.08 career playoffs)

2011 Thomas led the playoffs in shots against, saves, save%, GAA and shut outs

Bobrovsky's playoff numbers speak for themselves

 

[Burke the Legend]

Thomas' amazing playoff performances put him over right now but Bobrovsky is only 30 and should be able to lay down at least a few more top notch regular seasons (one hopes for the sake of the team that will eventually pay him this summer) and maybe some deep playoff runs.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Bobrovsky if he wins a cup, but it still may be Bob.

Thomas is grossly overrated, he DOMINATED for a couple of seasons, but that's all it was, a couple of seasons. Bob has played at a high level for longer than Thomas did and he still has years left in the tank to keep playing at a high level.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Bobrovsky if he wins a cup, but it still may be Bob.

Thomas is grossly overrated, he DOMINATED for a couple of seasons, but that's all it was, a couple of seasons. Bob has played at a high level for longer than Thomas did and he still has years left in the tank to keep playing at a high level.

outside of the 2 Vezina years, Bob is average at best and pretty below average

 

[Rebels57]

Thomas was so ridiculous in the 2011 playoffs that I almost wonder if he was using performancing enhancing drugs. I'm mostly joking, but I still can't figure out how he played at that level. It seemed to defy his own physical capability.

 

[Albatros]

Thomas had an impressive peak and is rightly remembered for it, but overall his ability was nowhere near that great and struggled to make the league for a reason.

 

[Regal]

Bobrovsky if he wins a cup, but it still may be Bob.

Thomas is grossly overrated, he DOMINATED for a couple of seasons, but that's all it was, a couple of seasons. Bob has played at a high level for longer than Thomas did and he still has years left in the tank to keep playing at a high level.

Thomas was a good goalie for the majority of his time in Boston. He was only elite in 2 seasons, but the same is true with Bob. Their other seasons aren't much different. Just looking at Goals Saved Above Average, which isn't perfect but gives a basis for how a goalie's save percentage compares to league average, taking into account games played, you get:

Thomas: 45.8, 41, 21.3, 18.8, 11.4, 4.3, -0.9, -8.2
Bob: 33.5, 21.5, 16.9, 15.4, 5.3, 5.3, 3, -7.7, -11.5

 

[Goose312]

3 weeks ago this poll would have been a complete joke, and until Bob drags a team to a cup in dominant fashion it's Thomas by a mile.

 

[ESH]

Bobrovsky if he wins a cup, but it still may be Bob.

Thomas is grossly overrated, he DOMINATED for a couple of seasons, but that's all it was, a couple of seasons. Bob has played at a high level for longer than Thomas did and he still has years left in the tank to keep playing at a high level.

Thomas’ 2 best seasons are as good as any season I’ve seen from a goaltender, and he has 2 more seasons where he was most certainly a well-above average goaltender. Along with, in my opinion, the best playoff performance from a goalie since the lockout (atleast).

Bobrovsky has 2 Vezina-worthy seasons (but never reached the heights of Thomas), and 2 more above average seasons, but outside of that I don’t think his other years are enough to overcome the difference in peak, especially considering that this is the first time in the playoffs where he’s actually been good.

 

[Albatros]

Thomas was a good goalie for the majority of his time in Boston. He was only elite in 2 seasons, but the same is true with Bob. Their other seasons aren't much different. Just looking at Goals Saved Above Average, which isn't perfect but gives a basis for how a goalie's save percentage compares to league average, taking into account games played, you get:

Thomas: 45.8, 41, 21.3, 18.8, 11.4, 4.3, -0.9, -8.2
Bob: 33.5, 21.5, 16.9, 15.4, 5.3, 5.3, 3, -7.7, -11.5

I think the difference here is that Bobrovsky was struggling his first two years as a young rookie in Philadelphia but has been solid since, while Thomas couldn't make the league before he was past 30 and would then have some stellar and some rubbish years not really knowing which it would be. Bobrovsky's reputation comes more from the fact that he hasn't been very good in the playoffs until now.

 

[Regal]

I think the difference here is that Bobrovsky was struggling his first two years as a young rookie in Philadelphia but has been solid since, while Thomas couldn't make the league before he was past 30 and would then have some stellar and some rubbish years not really knowing which it would be. Bobrovsky's reputation comes more from the fact that he hasn't been very good in the playoffs until now.

Not really though. Thomas wasn't any more inconsistent in Boston than Bob has been in Columbus. Thomas was never rubbish in Boston. At worst he was average in his first full year as a starter. He was very good in '06 in half a season, average in '07, very good in '08, won the Vezina in '09, lost the starter job to Rask (another high end goalie) in '10 but was still good, just not as good as Rask, then won the Vezina again '11, then started '12 great and slowed down in the second half. Bob won the Vezina in '13, his first year in Columbus, then was very good in '14, above average in '15, below average in '16, win the Vezina in '17, was very good in '18, and had an up and down season this year but was pretty much average. Thomas's Boston years and Bob's Columbus years are pretty similar in terms of performance and consistency, and both played 7 years (not counting Thomas's 4 game stink in '03). The biggest difference is the playoffs

 

[Albatros]

Bobrovsky's issue was a groin injury rather than inconsistency though.

 

[izzy]

peak tim thomas was as dominant of a goalie you could get so id take him here.

 

[Nocashstyle]

This is still Thomas without a second hesitation.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

As of now Thomas but Bob has a lot of time left and his legacy is being re-written as we speak.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

I've never seen a goalie play better than Tim Thomas in 2011.

 

[Balance]

I mean, clearly Bobrovsky.

Don't understand the poll results. Thomas started goaltending in the NHL at 32 years old. Was he fantastic after that? Yes, of course. But Bobrovsky already had a Vezina at 25 years old. He already has 2 Vezinas and more overall wins than Thomas at the age of 30. Beyond that, he has a good chance at winning the cup this year and although we can't tell the future Bobrovsky will add a lot more wins to his career and has a good potential of more silverware.

You have to compare goaltending careers on longevity, and the reality is that Thomas wasn't an NHL goalie long enough to compare with a guy that has 2 Vezina wins before the age of 30.

 

[ESH]

I mean, clearly Bobrovsky.

Don't understand the poll results. Thomas started goaltending in the NHL at 32 years old. Was he fantastic after that? Yes, of course. But Bobrovsky already had a Vezina at 25 years old. He already has 2 Vezinas and more overall wins than Thomas at the age of 30. Beyond that, he has a good chance at winning the cup this year and although we can't tell the future Bobrovsky will add a lot more wins to his career and has a good potential of more silverware.

You have to compare goaltending careers on longevity, and the reality is that Thomas wasn't an NHL goalie long enough to compare with a guy that has 2 Vezina wins before the age of 30.

It’s about what they’ve done so far, I’m not giving Bobrovsky bonus points for what he might do

 

[Fugazy]

2011 Tim Thomas all day.

 

[Lshap]

I'll go with Thomas, based on him spiking higher. However, sustained performance will eventually tilt the needle towards Bobrovsky, assuming he puts up a few more high-end seasons. Obviously, this year's playoffs might move him much closer in a hurry. But for now, Thomas almost singlehandedly winning a Cup for Boston is the defining measurement.

I think the difference here is that Bobrovsky was struggling his first two years as a young rookie in Philadelphia but has been solid since, while Thomas couldn't make the league before he was past 30 and would then have some stellar and some rubbish years not really knowing which it would be. Bobrovsky's reputation comes more from the fact that he hasn't been very good in the playoffs until now.

I agree. I don't see any value in taking a goalie's early stats when he was a kid and lumping them into an argument over how good he is today. Especially when comparing him to another goalie who started much later. Bobrovsky's current trajectory will take him past Thomas if he can add another two/three seasons at the same high level.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Bobrovsky's issue was a groin injury rather than inconsistency though.

right, a groin injury that lasted 4 years?

dont forget Thomas missed 2/3 of 2010 with bad hips and had surgery before the 2011 season

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I agree. I don't see any value in taking a goalie's early stats when he was a kid and lumping them into an argument over how good he is today. Especially when comparing him to another goalie who started much later. Bobrovsky's current trajectory will take him past Thomas if he can add another two/three seasons at the same high level.

Its not just the kid years with Bob.

Last 5 seasons, he has only 1 year with a GAA under 2.40, the Vezina year. In the other 4 his GAA combined is over 2.60

 

[Laveuglette]

Tim Thomas accomplished most of all he did at an older age than Bob... what he did was exceptional though. We'll see how Bob ages. But their stories are very different. It's a weird comparison. A very different case case can be made for both of them