Wings D/Goaltending=trouble

[MichiganMan06 1]

I live in Montreal and I can't see all the games, but what is up with the D or goaltending of the wings? Osgood has consistently given up lots of goals on very little shots. Is the goaltending really that bad? is it the defence-whats up? As has been shown, the Wings can survive on this against the mediocre teams but they cannot rely on outscoring the tough playoff teams. In any case the Wings are in huge trouble for the playoffs if this keeps up

use cap space on a goalie if desperate?

[sergei_is_still_a_wing 1]

signing a new goalie? no. starting a new one? absolutely.

i am in huge favor of making conklin numero UNO until ozzie gets his head out of his ass. dont get me wrong, ozgood is a great goalie. STILL is. but like he needed in the playoffs last year, a wakeup call that says " hey moron! you aren't gonna be #1 unless you steal it back!"

our d has not been stellar and some goals are "unstopable" but you need to stand on your head now and again and he simply has not.

we need to get some fresh YOUNG talent in net up and going too. where is howard. i want howard.

[RedArmy 4]

signing a new goalie? no. starting a new one? absolutely.

i am in huge favor of making conklin numero UNO until ozzie gets his head out of his ass. dont get me wrong, ozgood is a great goalie. STILL is. but like he needed in the playoffs last year, a wakeup call that says " hey moron! you aren't gonna be #1 unless you steal it back!"

our d has not been stellar and some goals are "unstopable" but you need to stand on your head now and again and he simply has not.

we need to get some fresh YOUNG talent in net up and going too. where is howard. i want howard.

yea I think Conklin is good enough to start... let ozzie fight for the starting position... hey let Howard play a game or 2

[hckypete96 3]

ozzie has been brutal

[kylee 727]

if the D keeps playing so average and the goalie situation keeps fluttering the Wings wont make it past the 1st round, and that scares me and its only december. take it for what you will.

[Guest Crymson]

Fortunately, we are five months away from April and I expect that our goaltending will improve by then.

if the D keeps playing so average and the goalie situation keeps fluttering the Wings wont make it past the 1st round, and that scares me and its only december. take it for what you will.

Isn't that the point?

Edited December 5, 2008 by Crymson

[digitaljohn88 4]

It's a combination of both goaltending and D...

...but I said this a month ago and it still holds true. It's not hurting us. Osgood is 11-1-4. Hasn't lost in regulation since opening night. Ozzy has earned 26 of a possible 32 points in the games he's played. If we keep winning with him in net, then why not get him back on his game?

Edited December 5, 2008 by digitaljohn88

[The Mule 0]

It's a good thing it's December, then. I'd much rather worry about this in April, as opposed to before the new year when we're sitting on a 17-4-4 record with sub-par play. Just imagine how good we'll be when these kinks get ironed out.

[Guest Crymson]

It's a good thing it's December, then. I'd much rather worry about this in April, as opposed to before the new year when we're sitting on a 17-4-4 record with sub-par play. Just imagine how good we'll be when these kinks get ironed out.

I completely agree.

[stormboy 47]

i'm not worried too much about it now, given the time of year and our record.

still, i have to think that our way of winning games so far this year likely won't work too well in the playoffs. i just have to think that everyone plays a tighter game in the playoffs, and for us, it seems like a lot of games we play pretty well and then it's one bad giveaway, one defensive breakdown, or one really blown save and the puck's in the back of our net. now, obviously a lot of our one-goal victories have been low-scoring (anaheim) but a game like last night i would see us losing in the playoffs because the other team will likely be playing a tighter game and a few f*** ups from our back end would be much more costly. giving up one really weak goal in a 6-5 game is a lot less of a problem than in a 2-1 game.

but, nah, i'm not too worried. personally, i don't see conks or howard being a huge improvement over ozzie. ty was wicked bad in his last start. i'm not saying that he'll keep sucking it up, but it's not like he's stealing games for us when we play him. we just need to get back to consistently having +20-25 shot differentials. that way, when our goalie has a .800 save percentage and theirs has a .940 save percentage, we'll still win the game. that's how we beat scarrrrrry anaheim.

[3chrisosgood0 7]

i wouldnt say the D has been terrible maybe not as good as last year but whn they are given up less than 20 shots a game of late thats not to bad

but the goaltending worries me

sepcailly Osgood last night that pp goal where he was beat short side was aweful

and the first goal was stopable but not a big deal Pyat beat him clean

but ozzie needs to step up and he is more than capable

[The Secret 304]

Our Defense playing mediocre hockey is exposing our true weakness in having a Mediocre goalie in net. I have never felt Ozzie to be a great goalie ( I was happy the first time he left the team), a great backup maybe but not a great starter and we are seeing it now. Defend him if you want but the evidence is being televised every game while our defense is sub-par. Bench Ozzie and start Conklin for a while, let Ozzie catch a view from the bench and see if he can get motivate to play better and hope that Conklin can stay solid or I agree that we will be hurting come play off time.

[VM1138 1,921]

Ozzie is a great goalie and he's proven it. Have you truly forgotten all thsoe amazing saves he's had over the years? He's a consistently great goalie. But this season there is something wrong with the whole team.

So we can say Ozzie is playing badly this season, but I don't think this erases all the good he's done the past two or so. He'll get it together. Goalies are an eccentric bunch and Babcock just has to come up with a way to light a fire under his ass.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Ozzie is a great goalie and he's proven it. Have you truly forgotten all thsoe amazing saves he's had over the years? He's a consistently great goalie. But this season there is something wrong with the whole team.

So we can say Ozzie is playing badly this season, but I don't think this erases all the good he's done the past two or so. He'll get it together. Goalies are an eccentric bunch and Babcock just has to come up with a way to light a fire under his ass.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nick Lidstrom doesn't look like the Nick Lidstrom I've seen in the past. Yes, he's still bringing it offensively, but defensively, he's struggling and not playing up to his normal standards.

The diehard Lidstrom supporters, those who say he can do no wrong will tell you the Wings past success and staunch defense would be impossible w/o Nick. And I agree 100%. And conversely, its time to face the other side of the coin. Nick is not bringing his best game defensively and the team defense is struggling b/c of it. Nick is the driving force that controls our fate. If he's god's gift when things are going great, then obviously when they're not the same is true and he need be held accountable.

Personally, I think that ******* visor is tainted or cursed and he needs to get rid of it.

I mean, for all the great offense last night, Nick was EVEN. Who would've thought Nick, who generally is a +1 on average per game through the first 20-30 games of most seasons, would be sitting at +6. You know there's some bad ju-ju going on when Byran McCabe is rotting away in Florida with a better +/- than Nick after more than 1/4 of the season.

Edited December 5, 2008 by GordieSid&Ted

[b.shanafan14 733]

Ozzy hasn't played great, but at least half of his GAA is s***ty luck and less than inspired defense in front of him. The guy knows he hasn't been good and he just needs to play through it, just as the rest of the team needs to focus more defensively.

Should the Wings give Conklin more starts? Maybe. But its not like Conklin has been a vast improvement over Ozzy this season. Is a goaltending change towards Conklin the wake up call Ozzy needs? I don't think so. The guy is publicly disgusted with his play, and Osgood knows he can do better. When it comes down to it, Osgood is a better goaltender than Conklin but is going through a hell of a rough spot. I can sympathize with the "what have you done for me lately" school of thought, but in that case, I don't think there a many Wings who have been stellar.

Give it time, we're still winning games, and neither the team, nor the goaltending has been on so far. If its mid-January with the same outcomes, then start reaching for the panic button.

[Dabura 12,207]

It's a good thing it's December, then. I'd much rather worry about this in April

I can guarantee Babs is worrying about this now, as that's his job. I think fans have every right to share in the critical thinking without someone saying, "OMG guys, it's December!" every time the discussion comes up.

The Wings' D has been alarmingly shaky. I believe they'll turn it around. However, in order to turn it around, they need to start...well, turning it around. The more they put off turning it around, the less airtight it's ultimately going to be.

[up2here 41]

Bunch of panickers,lets worry when we hit March or so.

[Doc Holiday 0]

I can guarantee Babs is worrying about this now, as that's his job. I think fans have every right to share in the critical thinking without someone saying, "OMG guys, it's December!" every time the discussion comes up.

The Wings' D has been alarmingly shaky. I believe they'll turn it around. However, in order to turn it around, they need to start...well, turning it around. The more they put off turning it around, the less airtight it's ultimately going to be.

Yes we should find it a problem, but since it isn't close to April we can be happy that these mistakes are fixable beforehand.

No need to assume this team will be the same as the one playing in the first round. Everyone knows this isn't the 2007-2008 Red Wings.

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

It's a good thing it's December, then. I'd much rather worry about this in April, as opposed to before the new year when we're sitting on a 17-4-4 record with sub-par play. Just imagine how good we'll be when these kinks get ironed out.

the question is when will they be ironed out? our record is great, but when we've come up against tough teams, we've kinda been embarrassed. just about every game we've won has been a nail-biter down-to-the-wire 1 goaler. not that that's a bad thing, but sure as hell shows we can't keep a lead. it seems the wings are only doing enough to squeak out the wins, and as we've seen against the likes of boston and sj, even montreal and pittsburgh, that simply won't cut it.

these kinks should have been ironed out by now, i think. i just don't get what the problem is. how does a stanley cup champion go from being the bar-none the best defensive team in the league to a bottom third defensive team without losing any players while adding one of the better two-way players in the game? how is that possible? without our offense, we'd be one of the worse teams in the league. that's not how you win in this league

it is only december, and we have plenty of time to get everybody on the same page, so i'm not too worried. i do find it a bit concerning, however, that 25 games into the season absolutely nothing has changed from game 1. nothing. that concerns me a bit. what are they waiting for?

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

It's a good thing it's December, then. I'd much rather worry about this in April

i'm not sure if you misspoke here, but i'd much rather worry about this now. if we are worrying about this in april, the team really will be in trouble.

[Phil 0]

Maybe this is just my optimistic side talking but the defense will come around and so will the goaltending. Ozzie and our D have proven in the past how good they can be and they are just in a funk right now. Nothing that a better schedule with less traveling cant fix in my opinion. But we will see, I am not panicing at all yet though.

[OsGOD 3]

Luckily we are still 5 months from april and this same D and Goaltending is still having us get two points on a pretty consistant basis right now... Points are all that matter right now to allow us to get into the playoffs.

To whom much is given to easy... much is taken for granted... Adversity is AWESOME right now for the wings.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Luckily we are still 5 months from april and this same D and Goaltending is still having us get two points on a pretty consistant basis right now... Points are all that matter right now to allow us to get into the playoffs.

To whom much is given to easy... much is taken for granted... Adversity is AWESOME right now for the wings.

What adversity? I've heard Wings and Coaches mention that they think the Wings have played well during a particular game or after a game in which they've given an incredibly average performance. With their record and their relative health through nearly 1/3 of the season, I'm not sure they're really taking this as adversity in the same way that they were last February, which did prove to be helpful in the long run.

My worry has and always will be desire to repeat. I'm a big believer in motivation and hunger being the ultimate factor in winning a Stanley Cup Championship, and I don't see how thats something that can be fixed with 91% of this team having already won 1-4 Cups. I don't particularly see how thats something that will get better as the season goes on either, unless some changes to the roster are made. This team is chock full of hard-working, smart, skilled and talented players - theres no team in this league that matches us in that regard and its not even close. But there are teams that want it more than we do simply by nature of the fact that they havent gotten there yet. To me, thats what our performance points to. This is essentially the same, Stanley Cup Winning, family-like, chemistry-filled team that we had last year, but somethings off. And to me, thats the desire to work hard and earn what you win.

Do I think this team can win the Stanley Cup this year? Absolutely. But I think its going to come down to Holland making some shrewd moves to inject some hunger and energy into this squad for that to happen. I dont care if it happens tomorrow or at the 11th hour of the deadline - but it needs to happen.

Edited December 5, 2008 by YoungGuns1340

[OsGOD 3]

Okay adversity wasn't the word i was looking for... still on a drinking binge hang over from last night... ha

I suppose i bought into the masses whole, "OMG WE SUCK...WE CAN'T WIN A CUP BECAUSE WE SUCK" and hence assoicated that with us not getting the job done. My bad totally.

The fact we are still out scoring the teams in most of our games... is a very big positive... Even when scores are 6-5 and such (wasn't that the goal of the NHL this year...to increase scoring?) we are still racking in the needed points to remain on top of our division and very close to the top in our conference as well as the league in full.

We will get better... 2009 is few weeks away all will be better in '09 Obama promised!!

[IceMunkee 15]

Okay adversity wasn't the word i was looking for... still on a drinking binge hang over from last night... ha

I suppose i bought into the masses whole, "OMG WE SUCK...WE CAN'T WIN A CUP BECAUSE WE SUCK" and hence assoicated that with us not getting the job done. My bad totally.

The fact we are still out scoring the teams in most of our games... is a very big positive... Even when scores are 6-5 and such (wasn't that the goal of the NHL this year...to increase scoring?) we are still racking in the needed points to remain on top of our division and very close to the top in our conference as well as the league in full.

We will get better... 2009 is few weeks away all will be better in '09 Obama promised!!

Ozzy needs improvement but I totally agree with you. The NHL designed this to happen. Hence the Penalties getting called when a team is ahead. The no rest after ice. The game is designed to be high scoring. It is exciting hockey. It is extremely frustrating. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING! It is none the less exciting hockey. I usually don't get passionate about games this early, okay yes I do, but man it is frustratingly exciting.