gcom007

I'm indifferent about him as a Wing, but realistically, I don't think it's very likely to happen.

I agree, the rest of the team couldn't put the puck in the net either, but again, my biggest point is that this is the first real instance where even our goaltending was horrible. We've usually had crappy skaters and solid-great goaltending. Legace is the only instance where we've had terrible playoff goaltending. All our other goalies were career starters. Legace wasn't. Coincidence? I think not. John Vanbiesbrouck won a Vezina Trophy when he was 23!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My mind is blown. Roloson is somewhat of a relevant point, but he earned his spot mainly in the playoffs where Legace has utterly and completely failed. Still, a rare exception at best.

You don't become a starting goalie when you're in your 30's. Osgood was like 20 then! He and Legace are similar in age. Osgood is a starter. Always has been and truthfully he still should be and hopefully will be if he keeps up this play. Legace? He's a career backup. You don't become a starting goalie at 32. 10,000 times moreso, you don't become a starting playoff goalie at 32. He wasn't ready two playoffs in a row. Everyone's always got an excuse for Legace who played in front of a great D against crap teams but still never looked great down the stretch and completely fell apart in the playoffs. Wake up already. If Osgood is barely a starter in this league, there's no way in hell Legace will be a "solid starter for some years to come." He's one more playoff meltdown away from retirement if he even makes it that far.

Get back to me 60 games in and let me know how he's doing. If they make the playoffs and he actually plays just halfway-descently, I'll let it go a little bit. But I don't think it'll happen.

He didn't play well down the stretch against the same crappy teams no less and completely fell apart two years in a row in the playoffs. I mean, the 2nd year...that was just an utter and completely disaster. The last game was so embarrassing. He needs to do some soul searching and reconcile within himself that he's a descent backup at best. In a childrens paperback novel he wins the Stanley Cup, but this is the big time. Fairy tales don't exist. You put up or shut up. He fell apart. I admit though, I am extra hard on him because of the fans loving him so much because of the whole underdog thing. Sure, that's fine and all, but I thought we would've gotten real come playoff time especially considering how poorly he played down the stretch. That's still the number one thing I hold against Babcock...that was just a stupid decision. Babcock likes the guys with good attitudes and Legace sure had it and he had the media and fan support, but at the end of the day, he didn't have it in him to even come close to getting the job done.

One more time, Legace sucked. I called out how it would go if we rode him as the starter all year long and I was pretty much the lone voice in the matter. Search for it. It's a true story. Low and behold, I end up absolutely right! It's a ***** letting reason and logic rule you as opposed to fanboy feelings. And one more time... Legace was a joke. Bob Essensa style...Tim Cheveldae...Manny Legace...joke, joke, joke. "He's such a nice guy..." Joke.

I disagree. Legace is the only goalie I've taken issue with in the playoffs. Going in I didn't think he should be starting because it was very clear to me that one great month against a bunch of really s***ty teams doesn't account for much come playoff time. Again, Osgood was the better goalie going into the playoffs but they went with Legace instead. Legace played bad enough to lose. Every other goalie come playoffs has played well enough to win. Cujo played great in fact...our most standout player the 2nd year. Legace was an overhyped joke of a goalie with nothing of true worth to really back it up. I was fairly disgusted that he got the applause and support he did because at the end of the day, he was never that great of a goalie. I'm overjoyed that the Legace era is over because that guy was as big of a joke as Bob Essensa. However, I agree with you about Ozzie though. Give me consistency. As said, sans Legace, goaltending has never been our issue in the playoffs. Let the classic Red Wing play his consistent game, pay him his peanuts and put the money where it's more needed. It's what I would've done, what may happen one way or another this year and what will almost certainly happen next year.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm feeling it too. I don't think it will stay this "pretty" perse but I'm just getting a good vibe. I think some of our young guys have learned a bit more about what it takes to win come playoff time. And again, not to harp on Osgood, but there's something about him shining this year that takes me back to how things used to be and how I wish they'd stayed. I hate how so many years had so many ugly issues revolving around goalie issues. If they kept Hasek out of the picture and just stuck with Osgood (who most absolutely would've won the Cup in '02) I think we skip a lot of bad memories with guys like Legace and Cujo and of course, Hasek again when he decided to come back. I feel like there's some redemption going on. I dig it.

Dude, I've been on that since the 2nd half of last year once he got past his injuries. I feel like he's been the better goalie throughout that time and I'm glad people are finally starting to realize that he's the real deal. He's a smart goalie who is just about perfect positionally. He doesn't make the flashy plays but he's pretty much always where he needs to be to make the save. Considering so much of his game is mental, it doesn't surprise me that he's still capable of playing so strong and even stronger. He said he felt last year like he was becoming a better goalie as he worked on new techniques and whatnot and it's known that he works very hard in practice. I don't know...as I've always said, I'm not someone who just loves Osgood because he's Osgood. He's a great team guy and I like him, but the bottom line is he's playing great, great hockey. Let him keep going. If it were anyone else who was "injured" it would be Osgood's job to lose at this time. I say it ought to stay that way.

Wow...nice way to end. More points for Zett...nice goal for Flip...another solid game from Ozzie to pad his outstanding stats...I'm digging it. I'm really liking these Wings this year. Hard working bunch of guys.

Given Howard's great camp and Osgood continuing to play well this year, I have no doubt in my mind at all that next year will see an Ozzie/Howard tandem and it'll be a year too late if you ask me. Ain't hatin' on Dom, but I just don't think it was a necessary move to bring him back. Sans Legace, none of our playoff issues tend to be goaltender related. Osgood and Howard may not be the best but they're more than capable of getting the job done given the team we have and moreso could have if we stopped putting so much money towards goalies and more towards a deeper offense. To me it seems like the whole big-name goalie thing has far more to do with ego than the actual reality of what the team needs to succeed.

Oh, I don't mean brewing in a bad way. I just didn't expect there to be any doubt about who would start at all. And yes, it's so, so early, but I've just got a hunch it might be a more interesting choice come playoff time. I was impressed again tonight. And with that, to the other thread...

Yeah, you know, due to the fact that we have 2 mil invested in Hasek and historically he's the better goalie and subsequently the better bet in the playoffs (so we think...) I want to believe that Hasek is the starter that's going to lead us down the stretch. I've always been indifferent enough about Osgood not to hate him like some and I feel fairly objective about his actual talent. That said, I'm really with you right now. I mean, that can change. It's still early and Dom "starts slow." But I don't know...I smell something interesting brewing as this season chugs along. I'm really thinking Babcock's going to have some really tough decisions to make come playoff time even if Hasek picks it up. No doubt Osgood will as well. Then what? He had the gall to start Legace, I don't see why he wouldn't start Osgood if he felt he was the better goalie headed in. But it's early...we'll see...

Wow...I'm borderline surprised...not shocked. As said, I wasn't that impressed with Hasek most of last year and this year something that's definitely deeper than "slow start" has seemed off about Hasek to while Osgood has continued to play well and dare I say still be improving in different aspects of his game? The great thing about being more of a mental goalie as opposed to a flopper is that even as you get older, it's easier to play more consistent. And yeah, again, I'm no Osgood lover nor Hasek hater...I call it how I see it and honestly, since 2nd half of last season, I've felt that Osgoods been the better goalie.

You know, I like Osgood enough but I'm hardly his biggest fan. For the most part I'm indifferent about him. He's a great team guy, no doubt about it. Hasek? I'm not a huge fan in a lot of ways but he's a great goalie and you have to have reverence for that and get behind him. But... Honestly, I feel like Osgood's looked like the better goalie since after the midway point of last season. Once he got over his injuries and got a bit more comfortable again, I thought he was outplaying Hasek. Yeah, Dom starts slow, but this year, I've been beyond unimpressed with Hasek and thoroughly impressed with what little I've seen of Osgood. It's not that Dom's been really bad and sure, say he's a slow starter all you want, but I haven't seen a single game this year where he seems like the same goalie he was even last year. I'm thinking that maybe age may be finally catching up with him a bit. I'll wait it out before really getting riled up about it though. In the meantime I would hope that for both of their sakes they'd maintain somewhat of a balanced split. Couldn't hurt anybody. Again, I'm hardly throwing in the towel on Hasek and I don't want to sound like I'm jumping on a negativity bandwagon, but I'm thinking that there is a very distinct possibility that Babcock will have some heavy duty question marks to deal with come playoff time. Last year, no way right from the start. This year? Well, I just wouldn't be shocked...

Well, most people here don't really have a rational or logical thought process, it's to be expected. FEDEROVABSINTHLANGISLAZYANDSUCKSNORYANSMYTHWESUCK!!! Oh, sorry, darn channeling...

You know, I'd really love Selanne in a Wings uniform. Not gonna lie.

Legace was the only one who folded in the playoffs. Osgood and Joseph had fine playoffs. Ozzie's won a Cup and always kept us in it and Joseph is the only reason we went anywhere a few years back. Our best player. But hey, it's the media, I'm not shocked.

If he signs, fine, it'll likely be for cheap, but most likely, he won't sign so I'm not going to worry about it. I'm really thinking that our lineup right now is far more solid than most people realize. Hudler and the Flip will get a lot more minutes and develop. I think Hudler will score 30 goals this year if he gets the minutes. Flip will get stronger and more confident and grow into a solid player. Franzen and Cleary had really great years all things considered and Cleary was outstanding in the playoffs. Holmstrom doesn't appear to be a fluke by even the most stringent measure. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are as good of a two man superstar combo in the league. Like everyone was saying last year, the Dats-Zetts-Homer line was the best in the league. I'm kinda thinking Draper won't be great but he won't suck as bad as he did this year. We've got a few more young guys coming up that could step up and contribute. I think there's plenty of upside and plenty of room for guys with serious potential who can step up and make a huge impact. The tough part is going to be next year after we re-sign Zetts. Guys like Cleary and Franzen will also be coming up soonafter and they'll rightfully expect raises. It'll be interesting to see the numbers that Zetts is willing to sign for considering he seems to really be committed to this organization. That will be the kicker. Generally though, I'm quite happy with our offense right now given the salary cap situation. I think we've got a real solid group of guys and if some people flutter, we can make a move at the deadline, no harm, no foul, but I've really got a good feeling about these guys this year. If Lilja plays as well as he did in the playoffs in the future, we'll have a pretty solid defensive corps as well. It should be a good year. I think we'll have a better shot at the Cup now that some guys got closer and stepped up. I'm really getting pumped up for October...

What's his band name again? They suck beyond measure. I actually left Arts, Beats and Eats early when I was very close to the stage and fairly excited to see "Live" a few years back. I just couldn't take it. I think they're called Grinder? They were just awful. I mean, maybe I'm a snob because I'm a music major, but they just made my ears bleed and I swear the lyrics took points off of my IQ. "We can make a house, we can make a tree..." What a hook.

I'd give him a low contract loaded with incentives. Not sure how possible that is though as I don't know the semantics and rules about all that jazz. I think he could be alright, but he's gotta earn his money for once.

He may not be a scorer but he's no slouch. Mindblowing that so many wanted Booter on the big team and are pissed over this. Atleast Drake can skate and actually make a difference in the NHL game. He'll be a strong physical prescence that isn't near the liability that many other tough guys are. He may not have great hands, but you also don't get near 500 points completely sucking like most tough guys. So long as this is cheap which I have no doubt that it is, I think it's a solid signing. Not mindblowing, but nothing to complain about all things considered. There's a lot of upside to it when it really all shakes down. I think he'll play regularily and hard as hell and score atleast 15 goals this year on a solid Wings team. Call me crazy, but I think beind around a legit organization will not just light a fire under him but will get a bit more offense out of him. We make marginal players better than they are.

Want? Yes. Need? No. Again, goaltending hasn't been an issue for us. Sure, he helps, but sans our off year with Legace as a starter in the playoffs, goaltending has been the least of our issues. We'd be plenty fine with Osgood starting. Get us scoring consistently and then we might get somewhere in the playoffs.

Yep...a class act all the way through who got screwed over on so many levels. I'll never get over how he came in to clean up Manny's disaster in '04 and played so well given how things went that year. Clearly our best player at the time and the only reason we had a prayer to win. Again, why didn't we win? Everything BUT goaltending. Then the fans want Legace starting again so he can crumble and throw playoff games away. Good plan. There's only one goalie I've knocked as a starter since Bob Essensa/Tim Cheveladae and that's Manny Legace. He's a backup at best. I won't soon get over that because it proves once again how fickle and ignorant even the more serious fans are in this city.

Send Hasek home, beg Kozlov to sign cheap to come back to Detroit, pray that that works, then look at who's left and add role guys with speed and grit to keep things in check. Osgood will start and play around a 3:2 to whatever GR goalie earns the spot in camp. If goaltending appears to be an issue, make a trade into the deadline for an upgrade, though I don't think goaltending will prove to be an issue despite the general cliche-ignorance that rules so many fans.