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a list of things I take more seriously than mindfly: 1. A promise from a politician 2. The artistic musical styling of one Justin Bieber 3. The word of an AD in college football that there will not be a coaching change and they are committed to the current coach, after a couple sub-par seasons 4. Brett Favre's retirement announcements 5. The complaints of a woman wearing a low cut, 2 sizes too small shirt, that guys always stare at her boobs 6. The weather report I could go on...

Gee....ya think? Babcock is delusional about goaltending. It's his blind spot. He seems to think that he can manufacture a Starting Goaltender, by sheer number of Starts alone. He did it with Legace. He tried to do it with Conklin. And now he's doing it with Howard. Babcock needs to learn that what makes a goaltender a #1 Goaltender is NOT the number of Games he starts during the Season. It's what's between his ears. And you can't FORCE that, no matter how many Games you throw 'em out there. Babcock seems pig-headedly stubborn, incapable of learning from past mistakes, and unwilling to admit when he's wrong. Maybe THAT is what kept him from ever being able to make it to the NHL as a Player.

It's pretty simple, VM: If Babcock turns to Osgood now, odds are Ozzie is so fired up and hungry for the #1 spot, that he TAKES it. And never looks back. What does that mean for Mike Babcock? It means he was WRONG about the goaltending. It means that he was WRONG to stick with Howard as the Wings were driven to 7 Games against an inferior opponent, and bounced in 5 Games against a choke Team which was swept in the next Round. It means that he made the WRONG decision to declare Howard the Starter to open this Season, without a hint of competition for the spot. For those who state that "Howard is the Starter. You have to stick with your Starter." Says WHO? What justifies keeping Howard as the Starter, when his "back-up" is outplaying him. Wasn't Osgood the Starter just LAST SEASON....until HIS "back-up" started outplaying HIM. Then a NEW Starter was named, based on merit. When Legace was the Starter in 2005-2006, and Osgood was the back-up, it was: "Manny's the Starter. He's our guy, and we're gonna ride him." When Dom was the Starter from 2006-2008, and Osgood was the back-up, it was: "Dom's the Starter. He's our guy, and we're gonna ride him." When Ozzie was the Starter in 2007-2008, and Conklin was the back-up, it was: "Whoever plays better, plays." When Ozzie was the Starter in 2008-2009, and Howard was the back-up, it was: "We're going with the hot hand." Now that Howard is the Starter, and Osgood is once again the back-up, it's back to: "Howard's the Starter. He's our guy, and we're gonna ride him." Anyone who fails to see the ridiculous double standard here is out of their minds. It's quite simple. Babcock will NOT allow Osgood a shot, not even a shot, to re-take the Starting role. He'll keep throwing Howard out there, for loss after loss, regardless of HOW he's playing, until the TEAM pulls it together, and Howard starts Winning again. THEN he can say: "See. It was just a slump. All is well now." Right up until the Wings are bounced out of the Post Season early, again. He did the same thing in January/February last Season when Howard went 8-5-6, and was giving up 3+ goals per Game consistently. He just kept throwing him out there, Game after Game, after Game.

Are you serious? Please, please, please remind yourself of the stretch run last year. Where Jimmy Howard basically carried us on his back. We wouldn't have made the playoffs without him last year, chew on that. His start this year wasn't bad either...sheez. Put Jimmy on waivers and watch the ensuing GM on GM violence. Pretty sure Leighton goes unclaimed, but either way, pretty much no one will care anyway.

Howard has been badly outplayed by Osgood for a month and a half. This what you don't understand. Howard automatically gets the next start after a bad game to 'sort it out' if you will. The problem is that he has been having a ton of bad games. Osgood, on the other hand, has been playing great and after each great game he gets exiled to the end of the bench for another week or two. Howard has done nothing to earn his starts this season; Osgood has done plenty. Osgood should be starting half or more of the games from here on out until Howard proves otherwise.

A friend of mine posted some Leafs jokes on my facebook, I'll share them here.. What's a common theme with the Toronto Raptors, Blue Jays, Argonauts, and Maple Leafs, aside from all being from Toronto?... None of them know how to play hockey. What do you call 22 millionaires watching the playoffs?... The Maple Leafs. Why doesn't Hamilton have and NHL team?... Then Toronto would want one too. It's a sad fact that most people who witnessed the Leafs win their last cup were in diapers... It's a fun fact that the next time they win, those same people will be in diapers again. Man goes into a bar with his dog to watch the Leafs game. Bartender says it's ok, so long as the dog doesn't cause any trouble... When the Leafs score their first goal, the dog leaps off the bar stool, does a backflip and dances around on its hind legs. The bartender says to the man, "Hey that's pretty sweet! What happens when they win a game?"... The man replies, "I dunno. I've had him for 3 years and we're yet to see it happen!" What do the Leafs and the Titanic have in common?... The both look good until they hit the ice.

GO USA, GO MITCH CALLAHAN

Even Luongo isn't "elite" anymore. The guy used to be, but he's not very "clutch." He's certainly great but like Ken and Mick said the other night, there just aren't any truly dominant goalies in the league. Do Miller, Lundqvist and Luongo really stack up when compared to Hasek, Roy and Brodeur (in his hey-day)? No.

Better then Howard...

good thing we still have one Czech, or else, no funny. Still the best Red Wings commercial, ever:

How is Osgood any better than Roloson? Osgood is a compiler, lucky to play for the Wings - behind one of the best defenses in the league for most of his career. If he hadn't joined Wings, there would be no discussion about HHOF or retiring numbers. It would be a disgrace to retire his number. As for his 3 Cups? The first one - Osgood was no.2 goalie; the second Cup - Wings won despite Osgood's piss poor performance; 3rd Cup - Osgood was great. One great playoff run does not make him HHOFer.

He continually finished outside the top 10 in S% and GAA. Get over it.

Consistently the worst winners at everything. No grace whatsoever, it is damn comical.

Simple, gcom: It would prove that Babcock was wrong. Wrong to name Howard the Starter last Season. Wrong to bench Osgood for the entire second half of last Season. Wrong to stick with a struggling Howard in the Play Offs when he had Osgood on the bench. Wrong to name Howard the Starter this Season. And Babcock will not allow himself to be proven wrong. Period. We saw that first hand when the stubbornly refused to listen to the wisdom of Steve Yzerman, Nick Lidstrom, Ken Holland, and SCOTTY BOWMAN, as they ALL went to him in 2005-2006, and told him that it was a BAD idea to go with Legace in the Play Offs, and he should start getting Osgood prepared. He refused. He wanted everyone to know that this was his Team. It was his decision. He paid for it against Edmonton in 2006. He paid for it last Post Season. He'll pay for it again. Watch and see. The man will NOT admit when he's wrong, and he refuses to learn from his mistakes.

I know, it's like he treats a starter different than a back up.

I was thinking today, and asked a few people I know... I think another indication of a future of a franchise is how many prospects they have in the Jr. Championships (we have 5 ). Does anyone know how many Leafs prospects are in the World Jr.'s? I haven't heard any reports on the FAN590 in Toronto about how a Leaf(s) prospect is doing. My guess it's zero. Love it!!

I am not throwing Howard under the bus, I am simply recognizing the fact that there is like 8 points that separates the Wings and 8th place, and if Howard keeps playing like he has been for the past month, the Wings will quickly find themselves at 8th place; especially without Pavs! Quite frankly, I am getting tired of the excuses for Howard every game (The D hung him out to dry, they were unstoppable shots). Guess what, it is the job of the goalie to make key saves at a key time to keep his team in the game and Howard HAS NOT been doing that... that cannot even be argued right now. Ozzy has been fantastic for the Wings, and the Wings play better in front of him; There is NO REASON that Howard should still be given more starts than Ozzy right now. I want it split 50/50 with the better goalie starting more games near the end and into the playoffs... IMO Ozzy looks to be in the form he was a couple years when they won the Cup and the best chance for a Cup this year will have Ozzy in net. Babcock needs to be smacked in the head so he realizes this.

Ah let them have it, a Canadian team hasn't had a Stanley Cup since 1993. It's their way to distract themselves on how disappointing the Canadian NHL teams have been for almost 20 years. I have a theory that's reason why the tournament is so popular. If the Canadian teams were serious Stanley Cup contenders, this tournament wouldn't be as followed so closely in Canada.

the jersey is nice. but it sucks that the winter classic jersey isnt on NHL 11 id take that over this jersey anyday

If basketball is Canadian, then hockey is British. In fact, if we're going based on place of origin, hockey would still be British.

Are you kidding me? TEAMS win games. Awarding wins just to goalies is incredibly stupid. Osgood was NEVER the best goalie in the game, never. He is an average goalie, nothing more, nothing less.

#5 will be there.. Shanahan, Fedorov were great players but you've gotta be someone really really special to hang in the rafters in JLA...this isn't the pepsi center in denver, colorado.

"Free Iran?" "I'll take it!" ::dials phone:: "Saudi Arabia, I have something you may want, muahahaha" sorry... every time I see your signature I feel the need to make that slightly modified Family Guy reference...