NHL History & News

On Thursday, Christian Thomas, the son of former NHL forward Steve Thomas, has signed a 3 year, entry level contract with the New York Rangers.

Thomas scored 54 goals and added 45 assists for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals last season, who will be 19 next week. Thomas, who is 5-9, was the second round draft choice, 40th overall, of the club in 2010.

In an OHL campaign, Thomas and his father became the only father-son duo to record 50 plus goals. In an Ontario Hockey League regular season Christian Thomas, the first Rangers prospect to score 50 goals since Ryan Callahan, went on to lead the league in playoff scoring per-game average with a remarkable 19 points in only 10 postseason games.

Registering 54 goals and 45 assists for 99 points, along with 38 penalty minutes and a plus-20 rating, Thomas skated in 66 games with the Oshawa Generals this season. In points, goals, assists, power play goals (19), game-winning goals (nine), penalty minutes, and plus/minus rating, he established career highs. In the OHL, Thomas ranked second in goals and sixth in points, and tied for first in the league in power play goals and third in game winning goals.

Thomas led the league in postseason scoring with 19 points and nine goals at the time of Oshawa’s elimination in the second round, having recorded at least one point in nine of 10 contests and six multi point performances, in the 2011 OHL Playoffs.

With the London Knights and Oshawa Generals, registering 103 goals and 87 assists for 190 points, along with 79 penalty minutes, the 5-9, and 170-pounder has skated in 189 career OHL contests.

Just like last year when the Boston Bruins played the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston holds a three games to zero lead in the best of seven second round series. However, this time around the Bruins are hoping for a different outcome than last year’s playoff collapse. Last spring the Flyers became the third team in NHL history to come back from a three games to none deficit and win a playoff series. With last season’s collapse fresh in their memories, I would not bank on the Bruins failing to put away the Flyers this year.

The Bruins are a -170 moneyline favorite and the over/under total is 5.5 in NHL Betting Odds.

Using a combination of excellent goaltending along with a high powered offense, the Bruins have cruised to this commanding three game lead. The Bruins jumped on the Flyers with two quick goals in game three’s first sixty three seconds to take a commanding lead in the game and ultimately the series. So long as the Bruins do not let their guard down, it will be hard to envision Philadelphia making another comeback like they did last season against the Bruins.

Game four is scheduled for Friday night at eight o’clock. If the Flyers hope to stave off elimination, they will need to play a much better all around game and get more production out of their team leaders. Also, the Flyers goal tenders will have to step up and play their best game of the playoffs if they hope to extend their season for another game.