Jimmy Howard

[Aussie_Wing 354]

For those who are quick to bag Hasek and want him gone, let’s just think about how Howard’s faring in the AHL this season. Game by game goals against:

2, 2, 5, 3, 5, 5, 3, 2, 4, 6. Season averages of 3.76 GAA and 0.879 S%.

He's playing on a very poor team but those are some seriously horrid numbers. This was meant to be the season he would break through and prove to the Wings organisation that he was the goaltender of the future. Well he’s gone backwards since his AHL rookie season and now it appears as though we’ll have to look elsewhere for our next goaltender. Hasek's probably gone at seasons end and due to Osgood's play and Howard’s development or lack of, Osgood’s going to be the starter for a little while yet. Not sure about the backup though.

[2probert4 8]

For those who are quick to bag Hasek and want him gone, let’s just think about how Howard’s faring in the AHL this season. Game by game goals against:

2, 2, 5, 3, 5, 5, 3, 2, 4, 6. Season averages of 3.76 GAA and 0.879 S%.

He's playing on a very poor team but those are some seriously horrid numbers. This was meant to be the season he would break through and prove to the Wings organisation that he was the goaltender of the future. Well he’s gone backwards since his AHL rookie season and now it appears as though we’ll have to look elsewhere for our next goaltender. Hasek's probably gone at seasons end and due to Osgood's play and Howard’s development or lack of, Osgood’s going to be the starter for a little while yet. Not sure about the backup though.

Bryzgalov may be in our future plans ???

[BlakChamber 8]

I don't think it's necessarily time to give up on Howard yet. The season is still young and goalies do take longer to develop.

[Offsides 21]

I'm not giving up on Howard, or really saying anything about him...but I've never really thought that Howard would be a #1 in Detroit.

[Offsides 21]

Double posty

Edited November 22, 2007 by Offsides

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Domink Hasek

Age 23

11 games played

3.99 GAA

..so you were saying what about Howard??

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Domink Hasek

Age 23

11 games played

3.99 GAA

..so you were saying what about Howard??

You're saying because they had similar stats Howard will be anywhere near as good as Dom?

[Offsides 21]

LOL lots of goalies with 3.99 gaa's you could probably compared to JFH who never made the NHL...also.

[BlakChamber 8]

You're saying because they had similar stats Howard will be anywhere near as good as Dom?

No, he's saying that one bad season isn't always indicative of how a person's career will turn out.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

You're saying because they had similar stats Howard will be anywhere near as good as Dom?

Youre having a problem with logic? Lets give up on Howard because he has crappy stats as a 23 year old. Dom did too. Look at the career he had. What you do on a crappy team as a developing goaltender doesnt mean you sholuld be held to the same standards as an NHL regular.

[Grittzkey 1]

bring him up to the big leuges have him play behind our defence when our defence is on fire.. build up some interest from weak goalie teams, and trade him while he is hot.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Youre having a problem with logic? Lets give up on Howard because he has crappy stats as a 23 year old. Dom did too. Look at the career he had. What you do on a crappy team as a developing goaltender doesnt mean you sholuld be held to the same standards as an NHL regular.

Fair enough. I guess I'm just disappointed with his play given how he had got into shape and this is his make or break season. There's still time but the Wings won't be waiting around forever.

[Bannedforlife 403]

Didn't he have a really good pre-season?

[Booster313 138]

Didn't he have a really good pre-season?

I saw him play in GR...he looked impressive. But all of our goalies did in the scrimage games.

[Rob the Badger 0]

I've seen Howard play plenty of games here in GR. He's not the second coming of Dryden, but he's not a bust either. He has a HORRIBLE defense playing in front of him. This is one of the worst defensive units I've seen play in GR in their history. Offense isn't so hot either, but that's a different rant. Howard gets left out to dry way to often, and I think that our defense must think that they'll be executed if they try to clear someone from Howard's crease.

I think some of the problem might be due to the head coaching change. Different bench boss, different strategies, different philosophies... but still, we're 1/4 of the way through the season and they look like garbage. It's painful to see. Just look at their record at home, it's a laughing stock.

[Guest LivingtheDream]

Didn't Roy have some tough times in the minors on an awful team? I think he did and all those shots gave him a lot to build on. All we are saying is give the kid a chance.

[rick zombo 3,739]

Shouldn't we be just as concerned that the GR defence is terrible. I mean it's made up of promising prospects like Kindl, Ericsson, and Quincey right?

Maybe we should be in a panic over their play as well. In which case the Wing's future from the blueline back is doomed.

I think not.

[Lou_Siffer 1]

Those are really bad numbers for Howard. Could live with a high GAA if that SV% wasnt awful. What that tells me is he is a key reason WHY the team stinks. Its not the team around him making him look bad. The bad thing for Jimmy is if he doesnt have a big turnaround that there is no way the Wings will go into the offseason reserving him a spot on the big club. Which means theyre going to be forced to sign somebody, and if its someone like Bryzgalov for a multi-year deal....and they go with a Bryz/Osgood combo, Howard is pretty much done here.

[OsGOD 3]

Ozzie/Howard from '08 and beyond!

[Earthhuman 8]

Domink Hasek

Age 23

11 games played

3.99 GAA

..so you were saying what about Howard??

But he was playing in the NHL, when 3.99 wasn't awful, there was tons of offense in the league at that time. Andy Moog had a career 3.13 GAA. Grant Fuhr had a 3.38 career GAA.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Didn't he have a really good pre-season?

I thought he was coming of a really strong playoff performance last year in the AHL as well.

The bottom line is you can't know for sure until he gets up to the NHL and plays some more games for the Wings.

Edited November 22, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Looks like Howard has been watching Hasek a little too much this year.

[interminded 1]

Last season, his regular season was awful as well.

Only in the playoffs he managed to recover a little bit.

He's a great talent, hands down...., but I don't like it when people make him into the next Fleury.

With that kind of expectations the kid can only fail in a town like Detroit.

Let's not do that to him.

If he's ready, he's ready.

If not, then I trust the Wings management to be smart enough to look in a different direction.

[toby91_ca 620]

Didn't Roy have some tough times in the minors on an awful team? I think he did and all those shots gave him a lot to build on. All we are saying is give the kid a chance.

No, Roy played 1 game in the AHL as a 19 year old, that's it. Other than that, straight from Junior to NHL.

[South Dakota wings fan 7]

I've seen Howard play plenty of games here in GR. He's not the second coming of Dryden, but he's not a bust either. He has a HORRIBLE defense playing in front of him. This is one of the worst defensive units I've seen play in GR in their history. Offense isn't so hot either, but that's a different rant. Howard gets left out to dry way to often, and I think that our defense must think that they'll be executed if they try to clear someone from Howard's crease.

So if the defensive corp in GR is HORRIBLE, what does that say for the future of the blue line? I see posts asking for Quincey or Kindl to be called up all the time. So do they all suck? I have never seen any of them play, but everything I read says they all have potential. Must be coaching, right?

I think some of the problem might be due to the head coaching change. Different bench boss, different strategies, different philosophies... but still, we're 1/4 of the way through the season and they look like garbage. It's painful to see. Just look at their record at home, it's a laughing stock.