WILMINGTON, Mass. — Tim Thomas has gotten some rest.

And if last season’s playoffs are any indication, he’s going to need it.

“I don’t think he’s a tired goaltender,” Bruins Coach Claude Julien said as the defending Stanley Cup champions prepared for what they hope will be another long playoff run. “I’ve seen Tim tired before, and I see the signs, but he’s certainly not tired. … We’ve got a few days here to work on our game and get ourselves sharpened up, and that includes him.”

The Bruins begin the playoffs against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, and Thomas is certain to be in net for the opener. Last year, Thomas played every minute of the team’s run to its first NHL championship since 1972, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP to go with the Vezina Trophy he snared as the best goaltender in the regular season.

Three of the Bruins’ four playoff series went seven games, and four games went into overtime.

The Bruins have leaned on Thomas heavily again after backup Tuukka Rask was injured at the beginning of March.

But when the playoffs start, Thomas will be playing for just second time in 11 days. He skipped a trip to Ottawa on April 5 after the Bruins locked up the No. 2 seed in the East.

“Not traveling to Ottawa, was a nice little mental break,” he said. “When you’re on the bench you never know when you’re going to have to go in, and that probably was the first game in, I don’t know, five years, four years, something like that, I could sit back and completely watch without having to wonder how the game goes whether I’d have to go in or not.”