Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask are no strangers to leading the NHL in save percentage. Thomas did it in 2008-09, Rask did it in 2009-10 and Thomas did it again last year. Given that, nothing should come as a surprise to the two goaltenders.

Yet if anything were to be startling, what's happening now just might be it. 

The top two goalies in save percentage, the most telling statistic for net minders, are playing for the same team. Rask has a league-best .945 mark, while Thomas' save percentage is .939, good for second in the league and one point better than the current record -- which he, of course, set last season. 

The Bruins' goalies have been great for the last three seasons, but statistically, Rask and Thomas have never both been this great at the same time. Thomas had a .915 save percentage in 2009-10, when Rask led the league as a rookie, and Rask had a .918 mark last season. For both players to be performing at a level unlike any other netminder in the league is rare, but the Bruins have it. 

"It says a lot about us as a tandem," Thomas said after Monday's practice. "It says a lot about us as a team. We've been a very good team, working together. D and forwards want to play good D for the goalies, and the goalies want to play well for them so that they can take some chances and try to get some scoring. That's what they've done. I think that because we've been such a good team -- the tandem's included in that team -- [it] is showing up in both of our numbers."

Thomas then hesitated as he continued to speak, and, almost embarrassed, said "nevermind." What he was going to say, he admitted, was that it also meant the Bruins have pretty good goalies, but he didn't want to sound like he was bragging. Fortunately for him, the numbers speak for themselves, and no amount of humility can prevent observers from realizing it. 

As for Rask, who has started 12 games this season compared to Thomas' 23 while not only matching Thomas' play but statically surpassing it, the Bruins' No. 1 goalie is happy for his partner but doesn't feel the uneasiness that might accompany seeing an understudy prove he can be a leading man. 

"I'm self-motivated," Thomas said. "If you have a good relationship and stuff like that, if there's anything I can do with my experience to help him, I do that. When it comes to playing my game, I've got my own bar in my own mind as far as what level I want to try to shoot for. It really doesn't matter what other goalies are doing throughout the league, or really what my goaltending partner is doing. That's the best motivation for me. 

"If I were to start thinking, '[Ilya] Bryzgalov's got a better save percentage than me, I've got to catch it,' or Tuukka has this save percentage and start thinking about that, that turns into a negative motivation. I try to keep it on a self-motivating level, and that way it allows me to be happy that he's doing well, and I can be happy if I'm reaching the goals that I'm setting for myself."

After a very strong rookie season, Rask lost the starting job when Thomas stole it away with an incredible October last year in which he allowed just three goals in six starts -- all wins -- and picked up three shutouts. While Thomas flourished in the role and went on to win the Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe in the playoffs, Rask put up middle-of-the-pack numbers, as his 2.67 goals against average and .918 save percentage were well off from Thomas' 2.00/.938 season.

Throughout last season and into this season, Thomas has been adamant that Rask's play surpassed what the numbers may have suggested. Given that, Thomas isn't surprised to see that Rask, who is playing a little more than he did a season ago, has been able to be the league's best statistical goalie despite not being able to play every night. 

What Thomas does see is something that applies to him as well. He still has the league's best defenseman in Zdeno Chara making his life easier, but the team as a whole is functioning at a much higher level than it was last season.

"Well, I don't think [Rask] played that bad last year," Thomas insisted. "We weren't the same team that we are this year at this point of the season. Last year, we did a good job of building all year long, but we were building from a different spot than where we are now. Now we're picking up a different thing. I don't think that Tuukka played that bad last year. This year, partially both my numbers and his numbers are a reflection of where the team's at."