Osgood to Start Fri/Practice notes

[HomeNugget 2]

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20...ilppula_qu.html

This will be his fourth straight start. With only 11 games left in the season, it looks like the starting job may be Osgood's to lose.

[b.shanafan14 733]

I assumed this was going to happen. Ozzy has played well for 3 straight and 4 of the past 5 or so. We need someone to step up, and since Ozzy has been hot lately, you're right, Its Osgood's job to lose. Lets hope he keeps it...

[Opie 308]

Good for Ozzie hopefully he gets his groove back and my favorite team and my fantasy team enjoy the benefits!!!

[Ozzie30 170]

Excellent news.

I was hoping Babs would give him another start, especially after his strong showing against Philly. Despite my screen name, I've been a Conklin fan this season. Osgood seems to have really turned his game around recently, ditto to the Wings defense.

[dat's sick 1,002]

Great. There's no reason to not give him the start with the way he's been playing, and we need to know that he can keep this kind of play up for many games straight.

[maltbymaniac 13]

hooray,ozzie RULES!

[SDavis35 140]

I assumed this was going to happen. Ozzy has played well for 3 straight and 4 of the past 5 or so. We need someone to step up, and since Ozzy has been hot lately, you're right, Its Osgood's job to lose. Lets hope he keeps it...

And conklin has been slipping a bit as well.

[DatsMyWings13 4]

He's earned it. I hope he keeps up his strong play of late.

[EuroTwin 240]

Yay Ozzie. Hope he continues to be awesome and plays very well and impresses everyone.

[finalfilppula 2]

play well, oswell.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

OZZIE! OZZIE! OZZIE! : )

[Yzerman191 37]

He's earned it as of late. Had he not shown signs of improvement when he came back from his break, and had Conklin not had that rough patch, I think it'd probably be Conklin's to lose. I think Babcock's plan all along was for Osgood to start in the playoffs unless he kept up his disastrous play, and it's hard to argue with him. When you have both a proven and unproven commodity that is playing poorly, naturally you want to go with the proven one. However, Osgood's play has improved (aside from the two 8-X games for both goaltenders, which you can't really blame either for), and I think the worst you can justifiably say about his play since returning is that it has been average.

No complaints here as long as we're playing the guy that's going to get us further in the playoffs.

[Mors 201]

He's earned it, let's hope he keeps up the good work.

[Grim 5]

Ozzie stepped up when the Blues kept crashing his net. Good to see Ozzie playing with an "edge".

[Electrophile 3,554]

Excellent, excellent news. I am more than confident that Ozzie will keep up the spectacular play he's been showing us the last few games.

[gcom007 1,465]

I'm certainly not surprised, not only with the fact that he's lined up to be the guy but that he's getting back to his game. There were just no other reasons besides sloppy D and focus issues. You don't lose your game that fast and Osgood's style in general is not one that will be affected by age so much as the more acrobatic Hasek was. Osgood never moves a ton or plays with a lot of flash. He's got the mental game down cold though and tends to be in the right place. So there's just no way his game disappears because of age or whatever else people threw out. He just needed to deal with a few things and the D had to start giving him a hand. Low and behold, he's looking solid again. And again, I'm not surprised. I've been saying it for months.

No goalie wins as much as he's won by accident; even on stacked teams. We're going to be in good shape heading into the playoffs so long as we stay relatively healthy.

[chrisdetroit 189]

He's earned it as of late. Had he not shown signs of improvement when he came back from his break, and had Conklin not had that rough patch, I think it'd probably be Conklin's to lose. I think Babcock's plan all along was for Osgood to start in the playoffs unless he kept up his disastrous play, and it's hard to argue with him. When you have both a proven and unproven commodity that is playing poorly, naturally you want to go with the proven one. However, Osgood's play has improved (aside from the two 8-X games for both goaltenders, which you can't really blame either for), and I think the worst you can justifiably say about his play since returning is that it has been average.

No complaints here as long as we're playing the guy that's going to get us further in the playoffs.

Average? You must not have been watching. Throw out the 8-2 game and the 8-0 game as you said and he has played 5 games and has given up a total of 5 goals for a 1.00 GAA and has had 2 shutouts. That's a hell of a lot better than average. The only caveat is that it is only 5 games. If he keeps playing like that he will be the hottest goaltender in the league.

[Mike 0]

Update from Thursday's practice: Valtteri Filppula (back) made through most of the practice but left towards the end complaining of stiffness. They'll decide after Friday's morning skate in Atlanta whether he will play.

Tomas Holmstrom (knee) skated for about 15 minutes before leaving. He won't play Friday and coach Mike Babcock said he might not play in Calgary or Edmonton (Monday-Tuesday), but should return after that.

Chris Osgood will make his fourth straight start in net.

Here's the lines they practiced with:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Samuelsson

Cleary-Zetterberg-Hossa

Hudler-Filppula-Kopecky

Meech-Draper-Maltby

Holmstrom (out)

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Lebda-Ericsson

Chelios

Osgood (starting)

Conklin

MLive

[b.shanafan14 733]

Thread exists.....

http://www.letsgowings.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=56404

[Vladifan 680]

Amazing! Oz is awesome and obviously, any attitude adjustment, as always, is aptly aimed at any angst-oriented acrimonious agitators imbedded in our open-ended exposition .

[EuroTwin 240]

Franzen-Datsyuk-Samuelsson

This seems like a bizzare line.

[Yzerman191 37]

Average? You must not have been watching. Throw out the 8-2 game and the 8-0 game as you said and he has played 5 games and has given up a total of 5 goals for a 1.00 GAA and has had 2 shutouts. That's a hell of a lot better than average. The only caveat is that it is only 5 games. If he keeps playing like that he will be the hottest goaltender in the league.

Actually, I said the absolute worst you could say for the guy is that his play has been average. I still don't think he's been stellar, but definitely good. And that's all the Red Wings ask from their goalies.

[Mike 0]

Franzen-Datsyuk-Samuelsson

This seems like a bizzare line.

It's a stupid line if you ask me. Pair Datsyuk with Hossa or Z, not Sammy.

[55fan 5,133]

So if Flip's out, does Lebda go in as forward?

Edited March 19, 2009 by 55fan

[Winged_Wheeler 3]

It's a stupid line if you ask me. Pair Datsyuk with Hossa or Z, not Sammy.

Retarded as hell. Babcock needs to be hit in the head with a 2x4 or who ever decides this crap. Dan Cleary on the second line with Zetterberg and Hossa? Are you kidding?