Outsider

It's pretty common knowledge, both in Detroit, and in New York, if you listen to people. Do you think Shanny just up and decided to leave, after all those years in Detroit, after such a fabulous Season, and with absolutely NO deliberation over the decision, on a whim? Brendan and Steve are tight. Shanny left without even glancing back. Just like folks wrote off what Roenick said about Babs "hating' Chelios, how he was constantly "disrespecting" him? Yeah....JR is a BIG mouth....but why would he come out with something so random and off the wall, and be so vehement about it? Hudler just up and "left", deciding to play in Russia rather than stay in Detroit. Listen around, Drake. You don't even have to ASK. Just buy a few drinks, sit back, and listen. Hockey men are sociable creatures. Get a few cocktails in 'em, and they'll talk your ear off.

Who says Howard is the future? The guy couldn't crack the line-up for 5 years - not with numerous chances. Holland re-signed Osgood to partner with Legace. Then signed a geriatric Hasek the year after. Then Conklin. Then invited DAN FREAKIN' CLOUTIER to Camp! Howard only made the roster when the Wings ran out of options. And he only "earned" a shot at the #1 spot once Osgood went down with the flu/groin injury. Since then? It doesn't matter HOW he's played, nor how his partner has played. He's been handed the Starting job, regardless of performance. Osgood hasn't even been allowed to compete with him for the job. He has been DESIGNATED as the Starter, just as Legace was in 2005-2006. We all remember how well that turned out. And bear in mind that Osgood is posting similar stats while coming in COLD, after sitting on the bench for extended periods of time, while Howard has had more than steady work to keep him in Game shape. Babcock mucked up the goaltending in 2005-2006. He mucked it up in 2008-2009. He mucked it up last Season. And he's well on his way to mucking it up this Season. Sit back and watch it happen.

You've crossed off Chelios. Hard to argue, I guess, against the impact a sure-fire, first ballot, Hall of Famer is having on the ON ICE product these past couple of Seasons, as he sits in the Press box in his dress shirt and jacket. Same for Maltby, as he performs glorified PR duty. Again....it's not about what these guys bring in the PRESS BOX, but what they brought to the lockerroom. Yzerman, as VP, was rarely IN the actual lockerroom, let alone on the ice. Regardless, you miss the point: Yzerman was basically shoved out, because it was posited to him that Players like Dats and Hank would never be able to take the reins while living under his vast, Legendary shadow in the lockerroom. True? Perhaps? But word has it that Stevie wasn't ready to retire. Not yet, not yet! That he wanted just ONE MORE Season....a chance at 700 goals - just eight more....just EIGHT MORE.... - and maybe a better end than a First Round exit playing in front of a career back-up, but was "shamed" into retiring - his Pride poked and prodded until he had no choice but to admit that he was maybe little more than a shadow of his former self. Perhaps he'd be doing the Team a favor by retiring..... Regardless, it was reported that Stevie chose to retire, rather than play another Season under Babcock, eight goals notwithstanding. And Chelios was humiliated and discarded before his departure. Not necessary. Not after the career he had. Not after his time in Detroit. Everyone just assumed that Roenick, blowhard that he is, was simply bloviating. But where there's smoke.... Same with Maltby. Sidelined with an injury last year, he took the hit, had the shoulder surgery during the Season, rather than in the off-season, so that the Team could use his cap space....took the hit for the Team, only to be *****-slapped this Season. How hard would it have been to have Maltby skate ONE LAST TIME, on Opening Night at the Joe, as Bert was nursing an injury and was questionable to go, anyway? He could have played on Opening Night, then announced his retirement the next day. But? No. No farewell for the long-time Grind Line member, and fan favorite. Fourteen years with the Wings. Four Stanley Cups. "Yeahthanksbyemalts." And Shanny? LOL....Shanny was a 40 goal scorer in his last Season in Detroit. He bolted in disgust over the treatment Stevie received. Stevie,o of all people! Holland wanted Shanny back, but Brendan decided that he'd rather LOSE in New York than play for a Contender under Babcock. Ask around. The point is.....players like Stevie, and Shanny, and Cheli, and Malts....USED to be retained until they had molded their "replacements", shaping with words, and wisdom, and experience....imparting by word AND by Deed, what it means to be a Red Wing, what it means to don the Winged Wheel. Now? They're shoved off into the sunset, "thanksheresyourgoldwatchandyourfrontofficejob", without regard, or respect, for what they've contributed to the Organization. It's showing. It's showing in the play on the ice, in the slow crumbling of this Team's cohesion. They don't have that "skate through walls for your Teammate" mentality anymore. Deny it if you'd like, but it's happening.

LOL @ those who fail to see patterns emerging. Like the fact that with each passing year, and the loss of more and more "Scotty Bowman/Steve Yzerman Wings", the Wings, (as a Team), get a little bit more scrambly. Everyone here thinks Babcock is such a brilliant Head Coach. Come on. Dave freakin' Lewis coached this Team to the President's Trophy. Fact is, when Babcock took over, HALF of the roster was filled with Player Coaches, (similar to Reg Dunlop in Slap Shot). Basically all Babcock had to do was show up, run practices, and fill out the line-up card. This Team knows how to Play. And how to Win. As more and more of them leave, the Wings are losing more than just "aging Players". They're losing a fantastic hockey mind, one who sees the game on the ice like a chess board, (Yzerman). They're losing a PP Coach, one who understands, from first hand experience, how to combine skill with grit, and to implement both to devastating effect, (Shanny). They're losing one of the best Defensive Coaches in the Game, one who has seen everything, in a 20+ year career, and knows how to respond in any given situation, (Cheli). They're losing an excellent strength and conditioning Coach, one who can mentor younger Players on what it takes to compete hard, every night, even with a limited skill-set, (Maltby). As more and more of them leave, and the rest are disrespected by their own coach as "past their prime", their contributions held at little value in a "what have you done for me lately" philosophy..... Perhaps some of the vets have been alienated. (No "perhaps" about it.....I've heard from multiple sources that THAT is a fact!). And as more and more of them leave, and the ones who are left are NO LONGER treated with the respect they used to enjoy in Detroit, where they were considered valuable, battled seasoned warriors, rather than "washed up has-beens"..... Perhaps less and less of that "Red Wings Way" is being passed down to the next generation of Wings. It's funny how people see Yzerman as "ready for retirement". How Shanny was "past his prime". How Cheli was "done". And how Maltby was "waaaaay done."..... To the younger Players they were role models, guys who had BEEN there, done that, and had the Rings, and the scars, to show for it. And even if these guys were too old to be as effective as they used to be, they still had the knowledge to pass on from FIRST HAND experience. Rather than someone who's gonna rail on you repeatedly about how to do a job HE was never "good enough" to do at the NHL level. And while you can make an argument that the aforementioned Players HAD TO go, (and they did, it was their time.....), they didn't have to be treated the way they were BEFORE they left. And don't think the guys who are left in the Room don't know it. Vet and rook alike. (Ask around......)

They Are Tuned Out They're veterans, not raw rookies who can be intimidated, or "shamed", into performing. And they don't respond well to head games.

Ever wonder why such a good Team plays so poorly, at times. They just look "disinterested", don't they? Like they can't be bothered to show up? Almost like they're.... ....tuned out.

Osgood has let in one "weak" goal. That's it. If you want to count them up, Howard has let in far more questionable goals than Osgood lately. He's also been making a habit of letting them in in the opening minute of the period, in the closing minute of the period, and/or shortly after the Wings score.

For those of you still stating "Howard is the Starter, he's "earned" the Starting position", and that we have to "stick with him" as he works his way through this slump? Yeah... More fun with numbers: In the 12 Games Ozzie played before he "lost" the starting job due to is "poor play", (when he went down with the flu/groin strain): 6-3-2 (1 no decision, as he was pulled 7 minutes into the Vancouver Game, after allowing 2 goals on 4 shots, Howard mopped up as the Wings won 5-4) 2.77 gaa, .902 sv% Howard's stats in that same period: 1-2-1 (1 no decision, as he came in in relief in Buffalo, and Osgood took the L) 3.44 gaa, .879 sv% Rather eye opening, I think. So, if Osgood LOST the Starting job based on a 6-3-2 record, with a 2.77 gaa and .902 sv% over a twelve game span.... Then how is it that Howard hasn't LOST the Starting job based on his 5-5-1 record, with a 3.26 gaa and .887 sv% over an eleven game span? Riddle me THAT, "Howard is the Starter" people.

Also, for those saying that the Wings are not playing well....that they look uninspired....like they don't want to work for the full 60 minutes. Yeah. You're all right. Now consider the reports that nearly the whole Team, led by "Mr. Silent Leader" himself, Nick Lidstrom, went to Babcock and basically forced his hand by calling him out, telling him to "do the right thing" and let Osgood go for #400 at Home, in front of his friends, his family, and the Fans.... You don't think the guys in that room, many of whom have played the major portion of their careers with Osgood, and Won Cups in front of him, don't see what's going on? Don't see the double standard? Don't recognize how ridiculous it is to sit Osgood in favor of a struggling goalie, just to prove a point? You think THEY aren't wondering what has to happen to get the struggling goalie OUT, and get the guy who's playing better IN? You think THEY aren't wondering WHY Babcock simply refuses to play Osgood? No matter what? I mentioned it last Season, and was slammed for it. They don't HAVE TO wonder. They know. And they are NOT happy about it, by all reports.

Fine. If that's what it is, fine. Then WHY keep him in there, Game after Game, and allow him to keep struggling, when you have a 400 Career Game Winner outplaying him when he's NOT stapled to the bench? What happened to Babcock's mantra of: "It's about Winning. It's about who's playing better. It's not about personal accomplishments."? Or is this no longer the NHL, where the goal is to WIN? Are these no longer the Detroit Red Wings, whose goal is to contend for the Cup. Every year? Is it now the Jimmy Howard Developmental League, where the goal is to "season" James Howard, and get him experience? Ken Holland has ALWAYS held the opinion that he wants his Players, ALL of them, "over-ready" before they take on major roles with the Red Wings. What Babcock is doing flies in the face of that philosophy. This should NOT be about Jimmy Howard, no matter how promising he appears to be. Because the fact of the matter is that there are MANY "promising" rookies and young Players who just never. pan. out. Babcock is trying to force the issue. It's going to backfire. Detroit is NOT the place to "test" a rookie goaltender.

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.

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.

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.

They've edited the piece. The original quote from Hartnell had him talking about how, right before his shift, he was telling "the guys" to just "shoot it on net, I'll go after the rebound and go blocker side, high." That's funny, if you run a Google search on the words: I'm going to try to get the rebound and shoot it upstairs on the blocker side," Hartnell It links to the post game wrap up in tonight's edition of the DetNews. You can even find the quote from Hartnell if you type "The shift before I said just get it on there and I'm going to try to get the rebound and shoot it upstairs on the blocker side," Hartnell ... into the Search bar of the DetNews site, but the quote has been edited out of the actual article.

Not gonna happen, gcom. Great post, though.

Thank you for posting the link, Rick. As I read it, I just had to laugh. Because the reasons, and the exact same scenarios, (and I DO mean exact - beginning with that loss to the Sharks in '94, and Osgood weeping at his locker afterwards - that's what did it for ME, too), that "Justin" listed as his reasons for holding Oz as his personal favorite hockey player of all time, are the very same that have made Oz MY all-time favorite. It's funny. It's not that Ozzie doesn't have his warts. He does. God KNOWS he does. He can be downright infuriatingly bad, at times. It's not that he's particularly skilled. He's not. It's not that he has this aura of invincibility. He doesn't. It's that he has that one quality that NO amount of skill, or talent, or training, or experience, can EVER impart. Heart. Heart, with a capital "H". He's got it. Loads of it. Always has. Always will. And that commodity is more rare than, and something I would choose over, elite level talent. Every day of the week.

Atta boy, Oz.

Did you watch the game?

I wonder what happened? Can they have gone that far downhill, that quickly? They looked fantastic in the first two games of the Season. Some argued, as good as the '07-'08 Team that Won the Cup. They've gone 0-1-1, in spectacularly BAD fashion, looking disinterested, bored, and unwilling to skate, since then. Since Babcock's contract extension was announced...

I concur. Excellent suggestion.

I wouldn't say that. There were 9 NHL Regulars on the Wings roster tonight. There were 6 against the 'Hawks, and that's if you count Aaron Downey. Also, Chicago iced a far superior Team. Nope. I definitely wouldn't say that "this" was even AS close to a "B" Team, as that which was iced against the defending SC Champs.

NOBODY else watching, eh? LOL..... Didn't think so. **Edit** After that 3rd goal against, the game tying goal, scored from the goal line.... Anyone STILL want to argue that goaltending was NOT a detriment to the Wings this past Post Season? Sheesh....

What? Nobody else watching the replay of the Wings/Sharks Series on NHL Network? NO one?

With all due respect, I'm not the type who even attempts to "figure out" whether or not I want to "believe" something I know for a fact is an outright falsehood.

Yeah. That's the point. Most laud him FOR "how it all went down", while being totally unaware that it didn't go down that way, at all. And THAT is the point. And while most Wings fans may not consider it "shady", how Dom became a Wing.... ALL Sabres fans consider it VERY shady. Matter of perspective. Regardless, it's not about how "shady" one considers it. It's about the fact that so many "remember" it, or in this case MISREMEMBER it, in a way in which it never happened. They have, effectively, revised history with their "mismemory" of the event. That is the point I'm trying to make. LOL. I figured as much. Ask a Buffalo Sabres fan. I'm sure they'll remember it quite vividly. Did you even read the blog post I linked?