soonboomer

One could argue that Hiller's numbers in 2 road wins vs. the #1 seeded Sharks were as impressive if not more so than Ozzie's.....also, I think the wing's offense at 4 goals a game is 2nd only to Boston. Ozzie has made some great saves, but I think there have been long periods of time in both games where he has faced a minimal amount of shots. Let me pose the question to you. 83-84 Oilers, 76-77 Canadians, 01-02 Redwings....all 3 very stong teams, correct? But like it or not, one of them is THE WEAKEST. Same analogy applies to the Redwings. Superior Offense and Defense...............Goaltending, while excellent so far, in my opinion, is just a notch below. I never said that Ozzie wasn't good....all I said is that he is the weakest of the 3 components and that if one of the 3 breaks down, in my opinion, it will be Ozzie. Is that so outrageous that it is beyond belief?

Ahh...another idiot who apparently can't read. I ignored nothing, you mental midget. And Ozzie doesn't have to screw up to be the weakest part of a superior team. All teams...good, bad, great or indifferent, common sense would tell you that no matter how stong the three components are, one would have to be the weakest of the three. Would you agree with that assumption, Einstein? I maintain that even though Ozzie has been steller through the first two games (home games I might add vs. a playoff virgin), he is in fact the weakest part of the team. I say that the Wing's forwards and blueline, relative to those of the other playoff teams, are stronger overall. If you can't at least concede that this might be true, then you are guilty of the stupidity that you accused me of. And no, I not anyone named Boomer that you might have so harshly punished by ignoring. Give me a break!!

Were you predicting a successful playoff run for the BJ's? I certainly wasn't. But, a successful attempt at overstating the obvious anyway.

Maybe you didn't get the memo either.....2 wins vs Columbus at home does not yet make a successful playoff run. I'll maintain a sense of objectivity and stand by a prediction (and I certainly hope it doesn't happen) that if the wheels fall off, the blame will fall squarely between the pipes.

If we take off our red colored glasses, it's hard to dispute that if the Wings do have a weakest link, it has to be goaltending. How many of the 15 other remaining teams would trade forwards with them? How about top 3 defense pairings? Now, how about starting goaltenders? Anybody who would not give the lowest number to the third question hasn't been watching the same team I have. Sure Ozzie has been named 1st star two games in a row and he has played light years better the 1st two playoff games than he did during the regular season. But the fact remains that the general premise of the article is correct....Ozzie IS the weakest link.

Actually, he is 100% correct. It would probably be a league consensus that if the wings get equal goaltending to any opponent, they win hands down. They have the best offense in the league, CORRECT? The blueline, at least on paper, is also as strong as any other in the league, CORRECT? So what does that leave? I don't interpret this column as saying that Ozzie is not any good, but rather, as is consistently stated throughout, that he is merely the weakest link of a superior squad. So, what is the *****?

It's always great to throw out some BS comment just in case it happens we can use the ole' "I told you so".

This is 100% dead on correct. There's a reason why only 1 team has repeated in each of 3 of the major sports (NBA, NFL, & Major League Baseball) and none have repeated in the NHL over the past 10 yerars, and it all relates to "Championship Hangover". No one thought that, personnel wise, at the start of this season that the Wings were as not good as they were last year. It all comes down to chemistry and desire, both of which are hard to maintain when you've just "climbed the mountain". Is Detroit good enough to win it again????? Certainly!!!!! Do they want it bad enough? We'll soon see.

I'm not a fan of one more than the other...but I have watched every playoff game both have ever played......and Z's playoff edge to this point in their careers goes beyond the numbers......Datsyuk was quite weak on the puck early in his playoff career, and he was actually questioned by many as a possible playoff flop until the past two seasons.......Hank, on the other hand, has always been a playoff beast. This may all change in future playoff series, but lets not forget that Z is the one who has a Conn Smythe. CASE CLOSED!!!

I'm not a fan of one more than the other...but I have watched every playoff game both have ever played......and Z's playoff edge to this point in their careers goes beyond the numbers......Datsyuk was quite weak on the puck early in his playoff career, and had was actually questioned by many as a possible playoff flop until the past two seasons.......Hank, on the other hand, has always been a playoff beast. This may all change in future playoff series, but lets not forget that Z is the one who has a Conn Smythe. CASE CLOSED!!!

Up to this point in their careers, it can't be disputed that come playoff time, Z>D.

If you can smoke a cigarette while doing an activity, its NOT A SPORT...Golf, Bowling, Pool, Darts, NASCAR====NOT SPORTS

What kind of idiot from New Hampshire has the nuts to make fun of the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Are you a disgruntled Pens fan?

Distress????....Don't overestimate your importance, you mental midget. Ok, so your opinion is that if we don't get better goaltending, we're done in the first round. Have you any more original thoughts to share with us? As far as shutting up and moving on, I think I'll do neither. Oh yea, in regard to the big girl panties, I'd guess its probably safe to say that if one of us squats to take a piss, its probably you. Now, you're dismissed.

Thanks for your overstatement of the obvious, but threads calling for "better goaltending" or we'll lose in the first round are becoming at least a dime a dozen on this forum. Instead of offering another opinion, I'll choose to look at the facts which are (1) Holland has said that we're not in the market for a goaltender acquisition at the trade deadline (2) that being the case, it's either Ozzie or Conklin who'll take the Wings as far as they're going this year, and (3) in spite of who the fans think should be playing, Babcock will play whichever goaltender gives them the best chance of winning.....regardless of who has or hasn't accomplished whatever in the past. Right now that appears to be Conklin, but with 20 some games left in the regular season, things can change dramatically. You'd think this organization had never won anything with all the whining and complaining the fans do here. It changes from day to day.....when the Wings win, they're awesome and the cup is their birthright....when they lose, it's time for wholesale line changes and major acquisitions at the trade deadline. I guess things are never good enough.

You're right....nobody asked you. The defensive lapses last night were more at fault than Howard's goaltending. He actually did make a number of quality saves but seemed to be hung out on an island by our defensemen more than usual. As for playoff time, Babcock and the front office will make the decisions that are best for the team, and regardless of who the Wings play in the first round, Detroit will be a prohibitive favorite. Give all the doom and gloom comments a rest.

oh great...another "the sky is falling thread"....FAIL

Reality check...There wont be a goaltender change before the deadline, so its got to be defensive improvement if the Wings are to repeat. I've seen every game this year, and despite the fact that Ozzie does bleed in some soft goals now and then, its my impression that the team gives up a much higher percentage of quality shots than in the past. But this "The sky is falling mentality" kind of sickens me, since, after all, the Wings didn't win the President's cup in either 1997 or 1998. Lets all just chill out, because it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that the team will be hitting on all cylinders late in March and early in April when it really matters.

Agreed..In fact, even if Rafalski suffered such an injury, I'd look elsewhere. I have nightmares about again seeing an opponent score a critical goal and the first Redwing you see in the picture is Schneider. The offense he adds (or used to add) are more than offset by his defensive liabilities. No under any circumstance.