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AHAHAHAHAHA!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Woo Hoo! That was good. That was really, really good. <wipes tears of mirth from eyes>

Don't kid yourself..... Hasek WOULD HAVE gotten a better effort in front of him if he hadn't been letting in every other shot he faced, including consecutive shots, roughly 10 - 30 seconds apart. Hard to concentrate on Offense when every shot on net goes IN your net. The Wings, as a Team, looked fine until Dom's Two-for-One Special began.

well, since you've asked so nicely: Sir, yes sir! Look at DiPietro's record in pressure situations. He always plays just well enough.... To look good when he LOSES. He's looks lights out when the pressure is minimal, but folds when it's at it's greatest. He also tends to blame his teammates for THEIR insufficiencies when he lets in one of the MANY crappy goals he lets in. He tends to exaggerate every save, flourishing the mitt to make it look like he's made a spectacular glove save, or flying across the crease, like he's in a rush to get to Hoboken, when a simple repositioning would be more efficient AND more effective. Rick is all flash, and no substance. He'll make three spectacular, highlight reel saves a game, and let in 6 goals that make you say "How the FARK did that one get by him?" All anyone ever remembers are the three "spectacular" saves, and blame all the goals against on his TEAM. There's a reason why Rick spent YEARS in therapy attempting to overcome what was termed as "extreme anxiety in pressure situations". As for his predecessor.... You think Mike Milbury traded Luongo and moved up in the Draft to select DiPietro because he was insane? Nope. (Of course, that's not to say the MM is not insane.....but on a whole different level....I have my theories about that one). He did it because he was sick of Luongo's girlie man attitude. He despised it in Salo, thought he'd gotten rid of it when he threw Tommy off the Island in '99. At the first hint of it from Luongo he couldn't get rid of him fast enough. Again, from someone who's watched Roberto from DAY ONE of his NHL career: The man is WORLD CLASS talent-wise, but has NO SPINE! NONE! People truly believe that Luongo hasn't acheived any real success because he's never been surrounded by enough talent. Fact of the matter is that Luongo can't seem to handle the pressure of what it would mean to be successful. He's always been the guy who looked great, as long as expectations were LOW. Once you raise the bar, he goes all panicky on you. And once he falls apart, he whines like a little girl with a scraped knee: "I don't really care. To be honest, the Season ended for me on Thursday. I tried to muster something up, but obviously I had nothing left." <sniff sniff, pout pout> Milbury jettisoned him and selected DiPietro because while Rick didn't have Roberto's talent, he had LOADS of B@lls, and he IS one arrogant SOB. Milbury had finally gotten tired of Luongo's snivellng attitude: "It's hard to win games when you're the only one playing." There's more to winning than "talent". There's the mental aspect of the game, and yes, the emotional aspect as well. Heart is just as important as "skill" or "talent" every day of the week.

As an Islanders fan, I can argue against at least one, possibly two, of the above mentioned.

I am happy. Oz wasn't spectacular tonight. He didn't need to be. He got the job done, though, didn't he? Ozzie IS the man. "Da man in da net." Now where have I heard that before....???

LOL... That's okay. EVERYONE ELSE does. No worries.

Sounds a bit petty and small minded when reading it from someone else, doesn't it? Now you've just a LITTLE taste of what everyone here reads with nearly every one of your "nail him to the cross, he has given everything for you, and yet you crucify him" posts about Dom. Annoying, isn't it?

Whaddya mean "now'? This has ALWAYS been Ozzie's Team. He was drafted a Red Wing, played his first Game as a Red Wing, and he'll play his last Game as a Red Wing. He's given his all to this Team, done everything they've ever asked of him. Without question, without complaint. Whatever's good for the Team. Always. There are those goalie types who latch on to Winning Teams, reaching for their personal shot at glory, because they've been unable to GET "Their" Team there. The Team they latch onto can never really, truly be called "their" Team. They're little more than mercenaries. Do the job they're paid to do, then move on. Ozzie, though..... Ozzie's a TRUE Red Wing, Heart and Soul.

It's a good thing, too. People around here aren't used to seeing a goaltender with real character.

Good luck, Oz. Go Wings, Go!

I guess the guy must've missed Dom's last 3 Games, eh? If the Wings are 50/50 with THAT kind of goaltending display, I'd say they stand at LEAST that much of a chance with Chris between the pipes.

Completely unfair. Disgustingly biased, too. Par for the course.

Not one word of credit for Hasek, yet. The man is definitely not happy with the situation, and he could have made a stink. He chose not to. Kudos to Dom. His comments are first class, all the way.

LOL.... Of all the smug...... Unbelievable. Of course....when you're finished "policing" this thread, I'm sure there are others you can rid of any dissenting opinions, no? For the record, I'm an ISLANDERS fan. so I know a bit about Coaching/Management/Fans who insist on sticking with a goalie based upon "name" or "reputation" or "potential" alone. Works every time. Perhaps I've been mistaken from the gate, and fans of Teams other than the Wings are no longer welcome here? If that's the case, kindly show me your credentials as Owner/Supreme Grand High Poster on this forum, and I'll no longer post anything other than that which you find agreeable. Until then.....Carry on......

Last time I checked, this was a message board, it's purpose to allow fans of ALL opinions to express their thoughts. And Babcock was on the Wings payroll when he made the bone-headed decision to name Legace the Starting goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings before his OTHER option in net had so much as played a single Game. The decision to name Legace the Play-Off Starter with months to go before the Post Season even began was equally mystifying. But hey! That worked out great, so he was right. Right?

Of course.... Just as in 2006. Right?

I'm referring mostly to the Detroit area Press, I shouldn't have to name names. The coddling is disgusting, at times. It's also evident in Management and Coaching. As for the fans....? Dom could let in 5 goals in 6 shots, including one rolled in on him from the red line, and some here, (and on other Wings boards, as well), would find a way to blame "shoddy defense".

And while you defend him, stating that nobody but Giguere or Luongo could possibly save it "by luck" and big equipment.... The man HIMSELF is clearly frustrated and while stating that it was definitely a good shot, he can't seem to fathom how he missed it, either.

History is currently being re-written to show that Hasek is "the reason" why the Wings are up in this Series, 2-1. This, despite the fact that he's given up crap goals in all three Games. And the fact that his vaunted "bounce-backability" has been sorely challenged, as he's given up "quickies" in every Game, as well: Two goals in eleven seconds to tie it up.... Two goals in two minutes to tie it up, followed by two goals in nine seconds to LOSE. For every goaltender who's ever tended goal in Detroit, (see CuJo, Legace, Osgood) it has ALWAYS been said that it didn't matter HOW many GREAT saves they made, if they were gonna turn around and give up a SH!T goal when their Team needed them most, and "at the WORST possible time." Every goaltender, that is, except one..... Nobody will dare say it, though. There are even "humble bloggers" who feel that Dom is not the least bit responsible, no way, for throwing Game 3 down the toilet with 3 minutes left. Heaven's forfend anyone should bruise Doms delicate ego.

I'd be more inclined to agree, and to give Luongo the benefit of the doubt, were this the first time he's made a comment like this. As an Isles fan, I got sick and tired of hearing a future "elite" goaltender slam the young Team in front of him with comments like "It's hard to win games when you're the only guy playing." when he was on Long Island. Perhaps if Mr. Luongo could've mustered up more in the tank than a 1-7 record, and getting pulled three times in his last 8 games down the crucial stretch to the Post Season, he'd have the right to talk about "How the Cup changes everything."

Comments like this are the reason why I never have, and never will, like Roberto Luongo. Comments like this are also the reason why I firmly believe that he is most definitely NOT one of the greats at the position: Flames 7, Vancouver 1 “I don’t really care,” Luongo said. “My season ended Thursday as far as I’m concerned. I tried to bring it but obviously I didn’t have anything in the tank.” I have maintained since his days with the Islanders that Luongo had all the talent in the world, but had the heart of a tse-tse fly, and a spine like overcooked linguine. Talent without heart is about as useful as teats on a bull. Farkin' whiney cry-baby....

Ozzie's a big boy, he's been around awhile. He had a rough game. It happens. I wouldn't say he had a "bad" game last night, (God knows I've seen him have plenty of "bad" games.....this wasn't even close). He wasn't exactly a brick wall though, either. And yes, I realize that the third goal was gift wrapped at at the blue line, and that it was also deflected. I still maintain that he could've, (even should've), stopped it. He got caught flat-footed. He relaxed. They scored. Again, it happens. Unlike many Wings fans, I have high expectation for Chris. I know how good he can be when he's focused and on top of his game. He was neither last night. We know it, HE knows it. Like I said, he's a big boy. He certainly doesn't need me to coddle him when he has a rough day at the rink.

Rough game for Ozzie tonight. I'll agree with those stating that he definitely should've had #'s 3 and 4. Doesn't matter how much of a chance he had on the first and second goals. The third goal was ugly. The game winner in OT was brutal. An NHL goalie has got to stop that shot, period. Especially after his teammates double up in shots on the opponent, and battle back to tie it after being down 3-1. As for the Wings mailing it in for the first half of the game? That doesn't absolve Chris in the least. Bottom line is, once the guys got it going, it was HIS job to close the door. He didn't. Period. On to the next game.

And so it continues..... From MLive

I haven't posted on the LGW boards all Season. I'm here "lurking" every day. And I've been tempted.....so very tempted, at times. But....I haven't posted a single thought thus far this Season. All things considered, I thought it was working out pretty well. Wouldn't you say so? Now I'm here to "re-set" the jinx/un-jinx. Hopefully THAT will work, as well. <shrug>