Posted by Mike Morland

12:57AM - Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Detroit Red Wing net-minder Chris Osgood celebrated a milestone this past week involving 35. It wasn't wins or losses, but
his birthday, officially November 26.

With Osgood off to the best start in his 14-year career, he appears to be enjoying 35 more the second time around.

The second time around you ask? Yes.

Tivo back to September 2001. After the summer acquisition of Dominik Hasek from Buffalo, Osgood's days with the Wings appeared numbered, standing on the outside looking at a team of future hall of famers.

Left unprotected by Detroit in the waiver draft, the New York Islanders claimed him, and Osgood, after spending his entire NHL career in Detroit, was sent packing to a struggling team.

A new city, team, and jersey number, 35, awaited Osgood on Long Island.

After a successful first season with the Islanders, 32 wins, 2.50 gaa, and 910 sv%, leading them to the playoffs, Osgood became expendable in the 2002-2003 season as the team struggled to improve from its success from the previous season.

When the trade deadline approached in March 2003, Osgood was sent packing to the St. Louis Blues.

“I went from thinking I might get traded to thinking I was not getting traded to being traded. For the guys who might get traded, it's like a roller-coaster day and you can't do anything about it. It's not a fun day," says Osgood.

Following a short tenure with the Blues, Osgood signed a 1-year deal with Detroit in the summer of 2005.

This season, after taking over for the injured, and at times, slumping Hasek, Osgood is off to the best start in his career.

Coming into Tuesday night’s game, Osgood lead the league in goals-against-average (1.66) and ranked in the top 10 in all other major goaltending categories including wins, save-percentage, and shutouts.

Although Osgood has single-handedly at times kept the Wings in games this season, playing with poise and confidence, he owes a great deal of his success to the stellar defense in front of him.

"I’ve played on this team long enough where I’ve had nights when I don’t get very many shots ... I just stay focused on the puck," says Osgood.

On Tuesday after Detroit's pregame skate, it was inevitable that Osgood received the traditional shaving cream pie for his birthday.

With the success of Chris Osgood this season, one can only assume that 35 really is better the second time around.

(All quotes in this article are accredited to daylife.com)

Mike Morland is a wrtier for LetsGoWings.com, the University Record, and the Michigan Journal. He can be heard every Tuesday from 2:30-4:00pm on WUMD's (www.wumd.org) sports talk show "The Upper Deck." Guest appearances also include 88.3 WCBN-Ann Arbor and 89.3 WHFR-Dearborn.