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There are precious few NHL cities who place as much pressure, (and, at times, vitriol bordering on outright hatred), on their own goaltender. Montreal comes to mind. They've crushed quite a few promising young netminders. Toronto. Don't really need to mention the glut of quality goaltending there, do I? Difference seems to be, when Montreal or Toronto goaltenders suck, the fans hate them. But when they do well, they love them. Detroit fans hate their #1 goaltender, Win or lose. Doesn't matter. Never good enough. It's just never, ever, good enough. The Wings have been "cursed" with an 18 year drought at the position because this city, and YES, this FANBASE, has crushed every guy who ever had a chance to be anything here, by weighing him down with too much pressure, and far too many expectations, before he ever had a real chance. For the love of God.... I remember a 2005 PRE-SEASON GAME that Howard played at the Joe. The fans BOO'D him off the ice!!! A KID! Their FUTURE! And after a PRE-SEASON GAME! Amazing.... "Gee, Wally....I wonder why we can't ever draft a quality goaltender?" Drafting them isn't the problem. They're plenty talented and skilled when they come out of the Draft. They show lots of promise. They look like they've got all the tools. Unfortunately, they've ALSO usually got the weight of the entire Franchise on their young, inexperienced, HUMAN, shoulders before they ever play a single game for the GRIFFINS, let alone the Detroit Red Wings! That black cloud of expectation and pressure builds from Draft Day, and gets darker, and heavier, and more ominous with every passing day. Win. But don't just Win. Win WELL. And more than that..... Win it ALL. But when you do, you'd better look DAMNED GOOD doing it. Because with this Team, there are no excuses. There's nowhere to hide. If we Win with you, it's only what's expected of you. If we lose with you..... It's All. On. You. Very few goaltenders have been able to survive the pressure cooker that is the God Spot in Detroit. The only three to ever have any real success in the last 2 decades or so? One was a grizzled vet who'd already seen everything, and wasn't fazed in the least, even through the incessant calls of "Five-Hole! FIVE-HOLE! You SUCK!", and the constant calls to "Play the rookie! Put OSGOOD in net!" He just refused to listen. Simple as that. Just outright refused to listen. The fans ridiculed him until he Won it all, and suddenly, they were "always behind him." One was an Olympic Gold Medalist, 2 time Hart, and 6 time Vezina Winner with a resume which was above reproach. Didn't really matter what ANYONE said.....He was the Dominator, damnit, and he KNEW his position. Any and all criticism was met with a well deserved steely gaze, and anyone who disagreed could kindly take a look in his Trophy Case and promptly STFU, thankyouverymuch. And one....well.... Doesn't matter WHAT you say to him. Doesn't matter what you say ABOUT him. He knows he's good. He know's how to Win. Knows what it takes to play the position in THIS Town, for THIS Team. Just ask him. He'll tell you. He'll tell you over and over and over again. And nothing, absolutely NOTHING you can possibly say, is going to convince him otherwise. You're pissing in the wind. And you know what? Somehow, despite all the screaming and howling to the contrary.... He's been right. For 15 years. Hmph. Go figure! All three of these goaltenders Won the Cup here. The ONLY goaltenders in recent History to Win the Cup here. All three couldn't be any more dissimilar. Three totally DIFFERENT types of men, AND different types of goaltenders. Except for ONE thing..... They ALL, without exception, REFUSED TO LISTEN..... .....to you. Refused to let YOUR expectations weigh them down. Refused to let YOUR opinion of them, and of their ability, dictate THEIR opinion of themselves, and of their ability. Refused to do ANYTHING other than Play. Just Play. And let the chips fall where they may, regardless of what the fans and the Media had to say. I've said it before, and I'll say it again..... The next time you wonder why the Wings can't draft that "elite" goaltender you so badly desire.... Look in the mirror for at least PART of the reason why. And the next time you go looking for that "Franchise" goaltender you feel has eluded this Team, this Franchise.... Take a look at the guy in the #30 Sweater. The guy with 13 years in the Winged Wheel. The guy with 300+ Career Victories with this Franchise. The guy who's just cracked Top 10 in NHL History. The guy who's backstopped this Team to two Stanley Cups. The guy who refuses to do anything but Win. Year after year. Season after Season. Despite the black cloud that's driven almost every other man who's attempted to backstop this Team to his knees before finally bowing out because they just couldn't....handle....the pressure. And when you pshaw! and pffffft! and whaaaaaaat???, take a look at everything he's accomplished for this Franchise, (and he's not done yet!), and ask yourself..... Is it him that's the problem? Or is it YOU, and your unrealistic expectations?

Jeez. Osgood allowed 3 goals on 25 shots and still got 2nd Star of the Game? Not a good sign....

Pretty. Nice individual play. Unfortunately, it's rather like I'd feared. The shootout is churning out showboating hot-dogs left and right. Within a decade, (perhaps less), the NHL, and it's world class athletes, will be virtually indistinguishable from the NBA and it's arrogant "look at ME!" types. And that's exaaaaaaactly what Gary Bettman is working toward. Perfect. Just perfect.

Not worth it.... I'll just hope that he pulls his head outta his rear and he, and the Wings, have an awesome run this Post Season.

Once again, people remember what they want to remember. Osgood didn't sign on as a back up. He signed on to "compete" with Legace for the #1 spot. That was a nod to Legace's years of service without having ever received his "shot". It was ALSO a surefire sign from Babcock, in his first year as Wings Coach, that this was HIS Team, and that the past didn't matter to him. He'd base HIS decisions, and run HIS Team, the way he saw fit. Osgood was injured in TRAINING CAMP that Season, and Legace went on to set an NHL record for Wins in the month of October by an NHL goaltender. Babcock, deciding to put HIS stamp on his new Team, went against conventional wisdom and named Legace the Starter while Osgood was still down in Grand Rapids on his conditioning stint. Osgood hadn't even played a single game in the NHL at that point in the Season. So much for the "competition". Osgood outplayed Legace down the stretch, but Babcock stubbornly refused to waiver in his support of "his guy". Many people questioned Babcock's decision to name a career back up as his #1, ESPECIALLY for the Play Offs. While Legace had MANY, MANY good years in Detroit under his belt, posting stellar numbers during the regular season, he had all but zero Play Off experience. And he WAS, after all, a back up. Always had been. The questions were proven to be completely justified when the worst happened in the first round against Edmonton, as the career back up showed WHY he'd never, in a decade long career, made the transition from "best back up in the NHL" to "Starter". Again.... You can try to spin it any way you like, AFTER THE FACT, but Osgood wasn't signed to be the back up. And in hindsight, he should never have been designated as one. Not to Legace. Ya think Babcock learned his lesson...???

Nah....couldn't be that, could it?

Hasek pursued the Wings, not the other way around. Historical fact. Osgood was making $3.5M, and had 2 years left on his contract at $3.75M and $4.0M. Legace was making $550K. Not too tough to figure it out.... a Two words: Rick DiPietro. You know.......that guy the Islanders turned into the first goaltender in NHL History ever drafted 1st Overall, and then signed to a record-setting 15 year contract. Not too difficult to figure that one out, either. Two words, again: Larry Pleau. Two more words: Patrick Lalime. Larry Pleau's comments on choosing to sign Lalime, over re-signing Osgood: "He's a much bigger goaltender than Chris. He's definitely got size." Seriously.... Run a Google search on: Larry Pleau goaltender size. See what comes up. Larry Pleau is of the opinion that the ONLY trait a goaltender need possess is SIZE. The bigger, the better. Once JD, (a former goaltender himself), came in, he rather put the kibosh on that attitude as far as Blues goaltending is concerned but, up until that point, take a look at every goaltender the Blues have drafted and signed since the late 90's. Not that it's done them a fat lot of good, but hey.... Hmmmm...... Looks more to me like Oz sometimes has an issue keeping his focus in meaningless games, but knows when, where, and how to turn it on in pressure situations.

Looks like you'll get your wish. Oz will be in net tomorrow. Enjoy the Game... Go Wings!

That would just be gravy, Kira. Nothing more than icing on the cake. Fact of the matter is, when Baby Jebus grows up..... He wants to be Pavel Datsyuk. The man is, quite simply,....(what's the description I read earlier today....summed it up perfectly)..... Ah. Yes. Incandescent. That was it. The man is incandescent. What a Player.

Shoreline, I think you're fighting a losing battle. But I agree with you. Osgood let in 2 goals on 23 shots. One was a boneheaded play, completely his fault. But he stopped the shots he needed to stop in order to WIN the Game. Some of those shots on excellent scoring chances, generated by poor defensive play by his Teammates, late in a tied Game. People ***** when he loses, because when he loses, he sucks. People ***** when he Wins, because when he Wins, he doesn't Win the way some fans WANT or EXPECT him to Win, therefore he sucks. And for the geniuses here who are willing to "let you off the hook" if you'll only admit that Osgood has had a bad year.....? I don't recall ANYONE here , (or elsewhere), arguing anything to the contrary. I don't think there's been a single instance, by even the most rabid Osgood supporter, of anyone stating that Osgood has been anywhere NEAR "good" this year. He's been bad. All year. But as those who point out that his FIFTEEN YEAR CAREER has no bearing on how he's played THIS Season..... His play THIS SEASON has absolutely no bearing on how he played today. Nor on how he's played since the beginning of March. Everyone wanted improvement. Everyone bitched and pissed and moaned and WHINED like a little girl with a scraped freakin' knee... "If only he'd show IMPROVEMENT.....If only he'd play BETTER....." He HAS shown improvement, folks. His stats since his "mental breather" have been worlds better than his Season totals. They've certainly been better than Conklin's stats, of late. The Wings are heading into the Post Season as the #2 Seed in the West, (at worst). They've just secured their 4th consecutive 50 Win Season. The Play Offs haven't even BEGUN....and already fans can't keep their GOBS clamped about how badly Osgood WILL play.....once they DO begin. Amazing.....simply amazing.

loo..... When, during this Season, has Osgood said that he's PLAYING "fine"? That he's happy with his PLAY on the ice? Never. Not once. He's stated that he FEELS "fine", he FEELS "good", while stating that he's "getting there", he's working hard, he's "going in the right direction". Those comments would denote that he recognizes and acknowledges the fact that he's not playing the way he knows how, nor the way he needs to be playing, but that he's doing everything in his power to get to that point. He's given you what you say you want: Acknowledgement that he's not playing as well as he needs to play. But that's not what you, and most other fans who slam him for not going the "I suck. I need to play better." route in the Press...the PRESS, for the love of God.....want. What YOU, and THEY, seem to want, is a confession from Osgood. An admission of guilt. Sounds to me like what most fans want.... Is an apology. Regardless.... What Chris says to the Press, and what he says to himself, and to his Coaches and Teammates, aren't remotely the same. What good will it do him, or anyone else, to flagellate himself in the Press? They're doing a fine job of it, (not undeservedly, to be fair), without any help from him. (HUDDLES!!!)

Your bias is showing. You act as though Osgood has been dropping game after game all Season, whereas Conklin has been unbeatable. FACT of the matter is that Osgood has lost eight games in regulation this Season. Eight. He's lost 7 in OT's/SO's. Thats a total of 15 total "losses", with 7 points coming in his losses. Conklin has lost ten games in regulation this Season. Yes...that's right....ten. In fewer games, as you're so quick to point out. He's lost 2 in OT's/SO's. That's a total of 12 losses, with a total of 2 points in his losses. Conkin was given an opportunity to compete for the #1 spot from the end of February. His stats, and more importantly, his play on the ice, from that time has plummeted like a rock, and he's posting worse numbers than Osgood. And regardless of how you feel about how Conklin was "handled" this season, he wasn't "handled" any differenty this year than he has been any other time he's cracked an NHL lineup in his career. He was handled..... As a back up. Just as he's been handled for his entire 7 year career.

Shhhhhh! Quiet, you! If Manny "deserved" a chance, because he "earned" it with ONE Season as a Starter, then certainly Ty "deserves" a chance, too. Especially after "proving" himself over the course of 40 Regular Season games. If Manny could do it, then Conklin can do it, too. Oh....wait....

With fans like you, who needs intestinal parasites? Regardless of how "useless" a goaltender you believe him to be, I'm betting that has little to no bearing on his worth as a human being. Comments such as yours, however, ususally paint a much better picture of a persons "worth", methinks. Thank heavens for that ignore button.... **click**

Northwest based. Seattle, if memory serves.

Want... Waaaaaaant......

Going with Hasek last year was the right decision. Osgood's stats were a bit better, but Hasek was not only a Stanley Cup Winner, but a 6 time Vezina Winner as well. It's not like he was some raw rook, with no Play Off experience. The main difference between this year and last is that last Season, when Babcock went with Hasek, a Stanley Cup Winning goaltender, he had a SECOND Stanley Cup Winning goaltender waiting in the wings, (as it were)," just in case". This Season, he's going with a struggling Stanley Cup Winning goaltender and hoping for the best, because all he's got in reserve is a career back up, with one embarrassing 6 minute Play Off appearance, and a piss-poor performance down the stretch, sitting on the bench. NOT EVEN CLOSE to the same scenario. Here's hoping not only Osgood, but the ENTIRE TEAM, pulls their heads out of their collective asses. Because if they, (ALL of them), don't, it won't matter who's manning the pipes. Period.

Probably one of the most insightful posts recently seen here. Which is why the constant hand-wringing and whining about "Why can't we draft an elite goalie?" Where's OUR Franchise goaltender?" is so very, very funny. Any chance of that happening, EVER, is almost immediately squashed by the unrealistic expectations and the monumental pressure placed on any, and EVERY, goaltender to attempt to man the pipes in Detroit. The fans and media hammer, yammer, batter, bash, rip, shred, overanalyze, and overwhelm until there's little more than a quivering mass of Red & White clad jelly slowly melting into a puddle in the blue paint. And then wonder, (loudly and indignantly, no less), "what happened?". Must be nice to go to work every day, and have thousands of "experts", "experts" who have never actually DONE your job, but who have watched other people do jobs similar to your job...ON TV.....standing immediately behind your chair stating: "You're doing it wrong." "You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong." "You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong.""You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong." "You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong.""You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong." "You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong.""You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong." "You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong.""You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong." "You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong.""You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong." "You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong.""You're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong." ....All day, EVERY DAY, until the black cloud of negativity surrounding you is enough to weigh Atlas down. One of the funniest things I've heard, and I've heard it REPEATEDLY from Wings fans....for YEARS: "Our goaltenders are not expected to STEAL Games. So when the Team has an off night....I expect our goaltender to step up and STEAL a Game, for once." The next time anyone wants to cry about the Wings inability/failure to draft an "elite" goaltender, look squarely into the mirror for at least part of the explanation as to "why" it hasn't happened. (Or, at least, not to YOUR satisfaction.) Ah....but then there's this, eh?: "BS....these are professional athletes! They are above this. They should be able to handle the pressure." These are not "goaltenders", born and bred, emotionless machines we're talking about, the end-all, be-all of their very existence nothing more than to stop pucks, and to go into stasis between final buzzer and opening face-off. They're human beings. They eat, sleep, sh!t, and put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us. Imagine that.....

For the sake of clarity, since late February, when Babcock indicated that he was looking for one guy to take over the #1 spot, and make him "change his mind", (his words...not mine), about his Play Off goaltending: Osgood has gone 5-3, with a GAA of 2.85 and a SVP of .900. Crappy numbers, true, but a significant improvement over his Season Stats to that date. Conklin, on the other hand, has regressed, even more significantly, going 3-3, with a GAA of 3.63 and a SVP of .871, a drastic drop off from his Season Stats to that date. Conklin was given an opportunity to outplay Osgood during the most important portion of the Regular Season.....the Stretch Drive. Not only did he NOT outplay Osgood, (who improved on his numbers), during this critical stretch, he played his worst hockey of the year, posting worse number than Osgood has on the Season. This was not about one game.

Maybe part of the reason why the Wings have had such success over the course of the past decade and a half is their avoidance of knee-jerk reactions such as that which you've just suggested. Nah......couldn't be.....

I don't have the words to express how disappointed I am in Chris. I simply don't have the words...

It's rather telling, isn't it? The paint job on a goalie's mask is the individual goaltender's attempt to bring his personality to bear - what HE likes/enjoys/finds important. What HE is all about. What does Oz have on his mask? Just the Winged Wheel. Unadorned. Solitary. Proud. On a field of red. Guess Oz knows what's important to him...

Not surprising, considering that Brodeur is not only Quebecois, but born and raised in Montreal. Congrats to Martin. The man is a work-horse....

So YOU'RE the one responsible for Osgood's terrible Season! For the love of GOD, man.....get RID of that sig!

Khabi's on IR with a groin injury.