Brad Marchand made it clear the team wants to move on from the Tim Thomas controversy. (AP)

Bruins forward Brad Marchand made his weekly appearance on Mut & Merloni Wednesday afternoon and talked at length about the Bruins’ visit to the White House, time off from hockey during the All-Star break and the team’s prospects for the second half of the season.

On Monday, the Bruins visited the White House and President Barack Obama to celebrate their 2011 Stanley Cup title. For Marchand, it was an incredible opportunity that he and the team cherished.

“That was pretty cool, it was almost surreal,” Marchand said of being on stage with the president. “You see him on TV and obviously he’s such an iconic figure and it’s a room filled with cameras and everything. It was a good time.”

The visit, however, did not come without some controversy, as goaltender Tim Thomas, the 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient, did not attend the ceremony. In a Facebook post, Thomas noted that he believes “the Federal government has grown out of control,” but stressed that his decision was “not about politics or party.”

Marchand said that Thomas’ absence did not take away from the Bruins’ day in Washington.

“I had fun,” Marchand said. “Timmy made his decision and that’s that.”

With the Bruins sitting at 31-14 and in first place in the Northeast Division, Marchand also stated that he feels good about the direction of the team heading into the season’s second half.

“Definitely,” he said. “We’re sitting in a very good position right now. We haven’t been as hot of late, but with a little bit of a break right now and we get back into things, hopefully we get back to the way we were playing before. We’re in a great position, especially after how we started.”

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Carey Price is happy to see Tim Thomas fight for what he believes in. (AP)

A lot of people have had opinions on Tim Thomas’ decision to skip the White House Monday. Count Carey Price among those who applaud Thomas’ controversial move.

The Canadiens goaltender said Tuesday that he respects Thomas’ decision to skip the team’s day with President Barack Obama. In a statement explaining the decision, Thomas said it “was not about politics or party,” something Price got a kick out of.

“He’s not political? That’s a pretty political move,” Price told reporters with a laugh. “It’s bold. Good on him, to stand up for what he believes in.”

Price was then asked if he would visit Prime Minister Stephen Harper if the Habs ever won the Cup.

“I’d be there with bells on. That’s just me,” he said. “I don’t really have much issues with our government. Everybody has their own opinions, and it’s absolutely amazing that [Thomas] stands up for what he believes in, so good on him.”

Canadiens defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who won the Cup with the B’s, made the trip to the White House, but offered little comment on the Thomas situation.

“It’s the guy’s opinion,” Kaberle said, “and that’s it.”

Tim Thomas was not at the White House. (AP)

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was a notable absence at the White House Monday when President Obama honored the Stanley Cup Champions. According to the Boston Globe, Thomas chose not to attend based on political beliefs but will not be suspended by the team.

“Everybody has their own opinions and political beliefs and he chose not to join us,” B’s president Cam Neely told ESPN Boston’s Joe McDonald.

Thomas, a known fan of conservative talk show host Glenn Beck, won both the Vezina and Conn Smyth last season, breaking the single-season record for save percentage and leading the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup victory in 39 years.

Thomas will address the situation on Facebook at 6 p.m.

Nathan Horton

The Bruins were just sluggish and sloppy enough for the Lightning to end their seven-game losing streak, as Tampa Bay defeated the B’s, 5-3, Tuesday night.

Nathan Horton had two goals, but his contributions weren’t enough to make up for another off-night for the Bruins.

The Lightning took the lead when Vincent Lecavalier sent a loose puck past Tim Thomas at 7:11 of the first period. Horton tied the game at 4:28 of the second, but Tom Pyatt gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead before Horton tied it once more. The Lightning then regained the lead on Ryan Malone‘s 10th goal of the season, but Daniel Paille scored on a shorthanded breakaway to make it 3-3 in the third period. Dominic Moore gave the Lightning the lead for good with 3:45 remaining in the game. Steven Stamkos added an empty-netter.

The Bruins now have lost two of their last three games. They will play again Thursday in New Jersey before returning home to face the Rangers.

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE BRUINS

– The B’s slept through the first period, as they managed only two shots on goal during 5-on-5 play. They added four shots on two power plays, but it was a rough first 20 minutes the B’s.

– It looked like more of the 2009-10 Tim Thomas for the Bruins on Tuesday. Thomas is known for his unorthodox, aggressive style, and it bit the Bruins in the rear when he got a little too aggressive on Pyatt’s second goal. Thomas dove out to stop Steve Downie, and Pyatt was able to poke the puck into the net. That wasn’t the lone instance in which Thomas looked shaky, but with Thomas’ style of play he will occasionally have a night like Tuesday. The fact that these games have come so infrequently perfectly illustrates how impressive Thomas’ last 16 months have been.

– The Bruins officially can’t complain about other players diving for the rest of the season after Tyler Seguin reinvented the move on a Stamkos hook. The play occurred midway through the period, so it cost the B’s a power play in which they could have taken the lead. Given that Moore scored the game-winner after the penalties, the game could have been much different.

– While David Krejci‘s line was on the ice for both of the Bruins’ goals, it was also on the ice for Tampa’s first three goals, giving Krejci, Horton and Milan Lucic all minus-1 ratings on the night.

WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR THE BRUINS

– Claude Julien called out Horton after Monday night’s game, telling reporters the right winger needed to pick his game up. Once again, Julien’s words paid off. Horton, who had three shots on goal over the previous three games, had four shots on goal through the first two periods Tuesday and added his 15th and 16th goals of the year. If Horton can avoid the slumps and lethargic stretches he’s been prone to, he could put up 30 goals this season. He should be a safe bet to surpass his total of 26 from last season.

– Good to see Paille with some strong finishing skills, as his back-hander past Mathieu Garon came on his second shorthanded breakaway of the night.

Earlier in the period, Paille took the puck from Eric Brewer at the blue line to give himself a shorthanded breakaway, but his wrist shot was blocked by Garon before going off the post.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was the top vote-getter in the fan voting portion of the All-Star Game selection process, meaning he will play in the game for the fourth consecutive time.

Thomas received 626,540 votes, which placed him more than 120,000 ahead of Toronto goalie James Reimer.

The 37-year-old Thomas is currently second in the NHL in save percentage, behind teammate Tuukka Rask. Thomas has a .940 save percentage and a 1.90 goals against average, the latter of which ranks third in the league. Rask leads the league with a 1.61 GAA.

Thomas was named the All-Star Game in 2008, 2009 and 2011. There was no All-Star Game in 2010 due to the Winter Olympics.

The Bruins’ goaltender was one of the first six players selected to the All-Star Game. Senators Erik Karlsson, Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek and Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf were the are the other five. Later this month, 36 more players will be chosen and the teams will be determined by a fantasy draft.

Ilya Bryzgalov has made himself a household name, one weird comment at a time. (AP)

WILMINGTON — If Tim Thomas is as strange as Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, he doesn’t want people to know it.

With the Winter Classic set to be played Monday in Philadelphia, both the game and its accompanying television show, NHL 24/7 were popular topics in the Bruins’ dressing room after their practice at Ristuccia Arena.

The show, which follows the participating teams behind the scenes in the weeks leading up to the game, is fascinating for hockey-lovers to watch, but might be a lot for the players to handle.

Bruins players said Monday that while they would love to play in the Winter Classic again, they might have reservations about having to be on the show. Some players, such as Bryzgalov, have let their quirky personalities turn them into stars of the show, but Thomas wouldn’t be so quick to do the same.

“I’d absolutely hate that,” Thomas said of being on the show. “Having cameras around all the time, I don’t care what you say, it changes the way you act. You’re either going to play for the camera or end up being quitter than you normally are. One way or another, I’d find it hard to be real with the camera.”

Added a grinning Thomas: “I’d rather hide what a nut I am rather than advertise it to the whole world like that.”

Bryzgalov’s fascination with the universe, his knowledge of the death penalty in China and his comparing his Siberian Husky to a “hot girl” have made this season’s show a hit. Thomas doesn’t have many interesting analogies for his pets.

“I’ve got a German Shepard and a mutt,” he said with a smile. “Good dogs.”

Thomas likes what the show is able to bring to fans, but he feels there would be a limit regarding how comfortable he would be with cameras following him around at all times.

“You get the camera around all the time like that and you start to turn hockey players into Jersey Shore cast members or an MTV kind of thing like that,” he said. “I don’t think that’s the way it should be, personally.”