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After two straight uninspired losses, Bruins netminder Tim Thomas simply wasn’t going to let his team lose to the crappy Devils. “I personally approached it as a must-win, and I think the team did, too,” said Thomas, who backed his talk with 28 saves in a 3-0 win. It was the goalie’s fourth shutout of the season, already one shy of tying his career best.

Thomas has been nearly flawless in 11 games this season — 9-1-0 record, 1.32 goals against average, .960 saves percentage. Devils goalie Martin Brodeur wasn’t sharp in the game, allowing goals to Michael Ryder, Nathan Horton and Blake Wheeler. Brodeur’s record fell to 4-9-1, with a 2.73 GAA and .901 SV%.

Brodeur sounded more than a little discouraged and even a bit desperate after the game:

It’s tough because when you’re a competitor and you’re a team, you want to do well. You win one game, lose two, win one, lose two, eventually it will get harder to get back at it. Definitely, it’s a tough situation for everyone. Hopefully we’ll get out of it and laugh about it but right now it’s not much fun.

The Devils were shut out for the third time in six games. First year Devils coach John MacLean didn’t like his team’s effort or execution. “Their guys get opportunities, and it’s not like they outchanced us terribly or had more shots,” said MacLean. “When we get our chances, we have to bury them. They outmuscled us around the net. It’s unacceptable.”

At 9-5-1, the Bruins are in second place in the Northeast Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Devils (5-11-2) are in fourth in the Atlantic and 14th in the East.