b.shanafan14

Lindy Ruff is Buffalo's quieter version of Ron Wilson. He'll make a team better to a degree or three in the regular season, but when it gets to anything worth winning, he is all smoke and mirrors. Buffalo needs to go in a different direction for sure, there are a lot of good coaches out there and as others have said, Ruff will be able to find a job elsewhere almost immediately.

The Eastern Conference is a joke from October to June, period. The competitive balance in the playoffs is even worse. The playoffs in the East so far are decent but with the Capitals a funky goal or two away from losing Game 7 and the series the 'gauntlet' of teams the Penguins could see heading to another final are as follows: Ottawa, Montreal, Philly/Boston. Philly's defense has gotten better and may be able to bang around the Pens, but we've thought that in the past and the Bruins are in the same boat, but after a series of hitting each other silly, the team that remains may not have enough personnel/energy left. But really, if the Capitals get knocked out Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Anointed Ones will be back to the final. I hope I'm wrong, but I think any of the top Western teams would absolutely tear through that competition.

All my mind actually sees when I read these posts is "Come on! You have way too many fans and you get 10 times more hard to stash, more difficult to acquire octopi on the ice in our arena than we get silly rubber snakes! Its classless to show that degree of fandom in a place like Phoenix where no one knows we have a hockey team! Its not fair!" Every team has good and bad fans. Every fan thinks their team's fans are better and more polite than the next team's fans. And as far as West Coast sports fans being the 'most laid back', he must have meant more along the lines of 'Phoenix fans don't care all that much' because....

Are you asking me or are you telling me? So you saw it, and you're an expert?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmVdVJ1sRJI

They are really going to need a Bobby Orr award if they are going to nominate players like Green. Like the opposite of a Selke, best offensive defenseman instead of defensive forward. Green is absolute s*** on defense, period. Half the goals Stamkos scored this season were when he was playing the point I believe, what stops them from nominating him?

I was thinking the same thing last night during the game. Definitely "HOWIE HOWIE!" over "JIMMY JIMMY!". Motion passed .

Great game Howie! That's exactly what him and the team needed, they'll all settle in just fine from here on out. Go Howard! Go Wings!

The kid played great. I think that's all it will take, he'll settle in.

Jimmy is looking great so far and the team is insulating him well. Good sign! Go WINGS Go HOWARD!

Great stuff! I think that's exactly what we needed to hear and reflects how I feel personally: I want Osgood to be ready to go but ideally we don't need him.

2 or 3 Goals is going to be the average against Bryzgalov, not 5 or 6. That was a fluky game top to bottom and to expect the Wings to get that much production on a goaltender of Bryzgalov's caliber is foolish. This team needs to produce a similiar offensive attack, but they need to shore up defensively if they are going to win this series. Phoenix wins by defense and we are letting them win with their low ranked offense. That can't happen. If the Wings lose this series because of 2-1 losses, thats one thing. But they should not and cannot lose this series in 5-4 games.

There you go

This has been the problem all season to a degree. Howard's starts seem to be filled with saves he probably shouldn't make and goals that he probably should have had. The only problem now is its playoffs and he is having trouble making saves on the hard ones and the soft ones. Its always the simple ones like yesterday that he should be able to control and freeze and can't and it leads to second and third opportunities that end up in the net. Howard has Osgood in the size and athleticism departments, but he lacks the ability so far to control the pace of a game and just get a faceoff. One of Osgood's biggest strengths in the playoffs is that when the other team starts to pressure, he would freeze the puck, get a faceoff and a line change and an opportunity for the fresh bodies to win a faceoff and clear the zone. Howard's problem all season is that when the opposition starts to pressure he keeps letting them reload by producing rebounds. I've never seen this team spend so much time exhausted and hemmed into their own zone. Probably more detrimental than even the rebounds that produce immediate second chances are the ones that allow the opposition to wear down tired players and maintain attack time and gain confidence and momentum. Howard needs to learn that his glove is for trapping the puck not swatting it into the slot. Osgood has the ability to frustrate opposition with the feeling that they get one shot in the offensive zone and if it isn't going in, its going to be a faceoff and fresh Red Wings bodies to head back towards their goaltender. Howard NEEDS that.

You're not the only one If they all were playing like Filppula we'd be better for it.

I agree with everything. I just want round two the Cup. No matter what it takes to get there. The more and more I think about it, as much as I think throwing Osgood in now would be a disservice to the veteran letting him come in cold and go down with Howard's ship while at the same time denying Howard the must of every young goaltender not named Dryden or Roy, a playoff disappointment, I think Osgood would relish the opportunity and I think the Wings would do their best to insulate Ozzy knowing how rusty he is. Even if Osgood isn't great in Game 4, at least he'd be at home and we all know JLA would be pumping him up to no end. I think this team needs to be shaken up like they were in 2008. Above all else they need to win. The organization and Babcock especially needs to make a statement that whatever tools are at their disposal they'll use them. I think we all know that there is no way Howard won't start in Game 4 and I agree with him being given one more chance, but I think Babcock has to have the balls to have a very short leash. Goal in the first two minutes? Ozzy. Goal right after a Wings goal? Ozzy. Softy in the first period? Ozzy. Really, anything short of a solid goal against in the first 10 minutes of play. It gives the kid and the defense in front of him one last chance to prove they believe in eachother and gives the team enough time to right the ship for Ozzy should things come to that. Going with Osgood to start the third period with the Wings reeling is the last thing this team needs. Give Howard another chance, I really think the kid could come out and have a stellar game, turning the whole thing around. But its time for him to prove it and the team to prove they are behind him. But if its apparent that isn't the case, Babcock needs to be quick. I said going into the 2008 playoffs that Hasek didn't have what it took to get the job done anymore and that it was Ozzy or bust. The fortunes really had to align in that scenario, literally the ONLY way I could foresee a goaltender change happening: 2-0 series lead with shaky goaltending that eventually loses the next two games, give the next goaltender a chance to play a period on the road make some saves and then come home for a best of 3. This is not the ideal situation that was, so I believe we'll know by the start of the 2nd period Tuesday whether the Wings are going to win or lose with Howard. I hope the former, but am understanding if its the latter. I just hope that if things continue to fall apart Babcock has the conviction to turn to Ozzy. EDIT: correction

This exactly. Three great points: 1) Its not always about whether a goal is good or bad to let in, but the timing can be everything this time of the year. And the timing has been as bad as it can be so far. 2) Howard hasn't instilled confidence, which has been one of his biggest assets down the stretch run. I believe all it takes is one solid game and the team will be back on board with that. If not, this team is doomed. 3) No matter how this season ends, Howard is the future and the number one moving forward. Not every goalie is a playoff tender at the beginning of their career and it was inevitable to expect Howard to take some lumps. At the end of the day, Osgood is a great backup to have but not with his lack of game action this season. Howard is the man the Wings live or die by now, which at this point is looking far from ideal. Howard still has the ability to shake these first three games and get it going and we all better hope he does. Osgood will be gone after next season and then Howard will be challenged by Larsson or McCollum, but until further notice, Howard is the man.

You are very sensitive, aren't you. You've cornered the market on tantrums for people disagreeing. You really are arguing with yourself. Everyone, including me has said that Howard is better. Osgood is rusty and I wish he wasn't, that's the only thing you are even in the ballpark about. You are not some jaded genius. EVERYONE knows Howard coming into the playoffs was the man for the Wings. He is the better goalie, but until he starts playing like it, we're all left to wonder "what if we had our proven playoff goaltender as at least an option?" Quit feeling sorry for yourself when someone disagrees, its old and no one sympathizes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQXtOU6Zi00

I would have to agree with you to a degree. But the management of the goaltenders back then was a lot better than it was this season. Hasek and Osgood were treated as 1A and 1B, with Osgood being a good deal better than Hasek in the regular season while losing the nod to the veteran, former all-star household name Hasek. This season Babcock essentially sat Osgood in the corner, treating him more like the McElhinney to Howard's Kipprusof. Babcock put himself in a position where asking Osgood to come and save the day now is almost ignorant and hypocritical, like "I'm so sorry! I want you back! Please, just one more chance baby! She can't hold a candle to you, buttercup!".... ummm.... *cough*.... something like that...

Haha your foil hat is cutting off circulation at this point, good luck with that! Nothing better than trying to have logical discussion with someone that not only doesn't bother to read the posts but relies on dismissing differing opinions as (insert players name) slappies. Suppose it is better than "nuh ah! cause i said so!" Now, in order to essentially diagram in crayon what the conversation has been about, there is the "OsSUCKS is horrible!!1 Pee-Eww!!" camp, which is you, and the "we would be better off with Howard starting and a prepared Osgood ready to relieve" camp, which is everyone else. Within the latter are those who say "Osgood can still do it if brought in" which gcom007 is part of and those who say "Osgood is too rusty at this point" which I am a part of. Glad to help!

Internet tantrum much? If you have even listened to the discussion, the consensus is NOT to start Osgood.

Negative feedback?? Calm down, you seem to be the one that is getting his panties in a twist when people disagree. And I'm a Wings fan before an Osgood fan, and I'm not alone in thinking two goaltenders are better than one with no experience. The Wings haven't played up to snuff, but as we saw with Hasek before he got yanked in 2008 and Legace in 2006, its really hard to get a foothold when you finally get some momentum and its taken away in 30-60 seconds.

That proceeding under the assumption that Osgood would have been as bad playing every third game as he is playing on the second of a back-to-back after not seeing game action for over a month. Howard got us here and should have started the playoffs, no one will argue that. But Babcock did a piss-poor job of managing his goaltenders because he has a huge tendency to play favorites. People forget, that before Osgood got the flu and didn't see game action for months at a time, he wasn't having a horrible season.

Howard: 3GP 1-2 3.67GAA 0.888Sv% And as gcom007 mentioned, this is against a Coyote team that was 24th in the league in goals for, not the Washington Capitals. Osgood is too rusty at this point to be better fast enough to turn the series around, but Howard is not going to get the job done, and now the pressure is going to be even higher. So really, what are the Wings options? Exactly. If Howard plays and loses Game 4, he sticks around to lose Game 5.

I agree. Osgood is too rusty to turn it around in time to save the series. Thanks, Babcock!

.... or the Wolski goal in Game 2, 40 seconds after Zetterberg tied the game? .... or the Lombardi goal in Game 2, 50 seconds after Datsyuk tied the game? .... or the Arnott goal.... oops that was Hasek in 2008 (you should get the point) Easy to forget, he hasn't played more than 1 game/month since December.