The East finals are still starting, but Scott Burnside wonders: Does Thursday’s performance mean the Bruins have lastly put last season’s postseason crumble in the rearview mirror? We will have to see. The thing is Tim Thomas bounced from two rough games in an impressive fashion. Odds.

Thomas made 31 saves for his first postseason shutout this season and second overall, Andrew Ference and David Krejci netted and the Boston Bruins thrashed the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

“That felt more like a normal game,” Thomas said. “That felt like the game we played most of the season. Playoffs are always faster and more energy and a few more scoring chances than a regular-season game, but that was Boston Bruins hockey.” Scores.

Thomas, the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy as the top regular-season goalie, gave up nine goals in the first two games of the series. Fortunately for him, he bounced back to have an incredible performance.

Ference made it 2-0 at 8:12 of the third on a shot from the point that trickled between goalie Dwayne Roloson’s legs and into the net to wrap up the game.

Patrice Bergeron came back to Boston’s lineup after being absent for two games due to a concussion suffered when he was hit by Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux in the last encounter of the semi-finals. Las Vegas odds.

Game 4 is Saturday in Tampa.

For the best NHL bets go to www.scoresandodds.com