Bobby Orr Award For Bruins Player of the Year

The Bruins won the Cup as a team. They play as a team, fight as a team, score goals through teamwork, play defense in layers. So you'd think that picking out an individual to win this Award might be difficult. And among skaters, that's true. Guys like Chara, Bergeron, Lucic, Krejci, Marchand, Seidenberg, and more all deserve recognition. But it's pretty clear who the best player on this team was in 2011...

Tim Thomas

In 2010-11 he led the NHL in Save Percentage (.938) and GAA (2.00). That .938 SV% was the highest of all-time. He easily won the Vezina. Then he did even better in the playoffs. 16 wins, .940 SV% and a 1.98 GAA. He had 4 shutouts. He easily won the Conn Smythe.

And he's continuing his rampage. This season he's amassed 16 wins, 4 shutouts, a 1.84 GAA and a .943 save percentage. He's the best goalie in the NHL right now.

Watching him is a lesson in the unreal. He defies physics. He's so quick post to post. He's never off balance, even when his legs are fully extended. He reads the play perfectly. And the more pressure-packed the situation is, the better he plays.