Set up for failure, Thornton got the last laugh

Good things happen around the net, which has rarely, if ever, been Thornton's domain. He much prefers the side wall, his towering frame backed up to the boards, allowing him full view of the offensive slot, complete range to work. That's his wheelhouse, and last night the Bruins did a very good job of keeping him out of his comfort zone, explaining perhaps why he was cruising through the slot and looking for a feed midway through the third period when he booted home the backbreaking two-goal lead.

"They're a good team, a darned good team," said the former Bruins captain, playing Causeway Street for only the second time since being dealt to the Sharks on Nov. 30, 2005. "That's probably one of the best teams we've played all year."

Thornton was by no means invisible through the night. It would be hard for the 6-foot-4-inch pivot, the face of the Boston franchise for seven-plus seasons, to blend in with the crowd, get lost among all the advertising along the side boards. But he did not jump out like, say, his winger Patrick Marleau, who snapped home his 27th goal of the season and added a pair of assists (including one on Thornton's goal). Nor did he dazzle like Ryane Clowe, who picked up helpers on San Jose’s first, second, and third goals.

After all these years, Thornton is Thornton, a difference-maker when he's allowed to work his setup wand, but capable of being denied when the opposition has the resources to hack away at his game all night. The Bruins were able to do that and then some for the first half last night, but a combination of their own mounting injuries and San Jose's impressive depth eventually sent the Eastern Conference leaders to their room as if ordered by demanding, daunting parents.

"We didn't have too many answers early on," said Thornton, held to only two shots for the night, registering one of them with his left boot.

"Then in the second half, the ice kind of tilted."