Red Wings Goalie curse stretches to 18 years

[Guest mindfly]

Even softier than osgood's last night... he does this on a weekly basis, no thanks liv you're done...

[Jocke 53]

Found a short video on Jonas Gustavsson, he has made many better saves in the playoffs, but anyway

http://tv.hockeyligan.se/?contentid=744512668673

The last save was made 1 sec before he broke the record

[Wombat 26]

Starting goaltenders the Wings have drafted:

Jim Rutherford, Greg Stefan, Tim Cheveldae, Chris Osgood

Osgood is the only one who has managed to be among the league's better goaltenders for most of his career.

I do wonder how that compares to other teams. Perhaps the Wings are not alone in failing to develop more than one quality starter from the past 18 years (not that it's really hurt the Wings much during that run).

[MacK_Attack 108]

Jonas Gustavsson of F�rjestad in the SEL just beat Henrik Lundqvist's shutout streak and the all time shutout streak in a playoff, he's over 201minutes now and game hasn't finished yet, it's the semi finals and he only let 1goal pass him in the first series... he's undrafted and can sign with whatever team... KENNY MAKE IT HAPPEN

A report in Aftonbladet apparently has Dallas & Toronto as the front-runners for this guy.

EDIT: http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/hock...ticle4861354.ab

Edited April 9, 2009 by MacK_Attack

[Guest mindfly]

Yeah probably Toronto, will be hard to knock off Turco

[Outsider 42]

I do wonder how that compares to other teams. Perhaps the Wings are not alone in failing to develop more than one quality starter from the past 18 years (not that it's really hurt the Wings much during that run).

There are precious few NHL cities who place as much pressure, (and, at times, vitriol bordering on outright hatred), on their own goaltender.

Montreal comes to mind. They've crushed quite a few promising young netminders.

Toronto. Don't really need to mention the glut of quality goaltending there, do I?

Difference seems to be, when Montreal or Toronto goaltenders suck, the fans hate them. But when they do well, they love them.

Detroit fans hate their #1 goaltender, Win or lose. Doesn't matter. Never good enough. It's just never, ever, good enough.

The Wings have been "cursed" with an 18 year drought at the position because this city, and YES, this FANBASE, has crushed every guy who ever had a chance to be anything here, by weighing him down with too much pressure, and far too many expectations, before he ever had a real chance.

For the love of God....

I remember a 2005 PRE-SEASON GAME that Howard played at the Joe. The fans BOO'D him off the ice!!! A KID! Their FUTURE! And after a PRE-SEASON GAME! Amazing....

"Gee, Wally....I wonder why we can't ever draft a quality goaltender?"

Drafting them isn't the problem. They're plenty talented and skilled when they come out of the Draft. They show lots of promise. They look like they've got all the tools.

Unfortunately, they've ALSO usually got the weight of the entire Franchise on their young, inexperienced, HUMAN, shoulders before they ever play a single game for the GRIFFINS, let alone the Detroit Red Wings!

That black cloud of expectation and pressure builds from Draft Day, and gets darker, and heavier, and more ominous with every passing day.

Win. But don't just Win. Win WELL. And more than that.....

Win it ALL. But when you do, you'd better look DAMNED GOOD doing it. Because with this Team, there are no excuses. There's nowhere to hide. If we Win with you, it's only what's expected of you. If we lose with you.....

It's All.

On.

You.

Very few goaltenders have been able to survive the pressure cooker that is the God Spot in Detroit.

The only three to ever have any real success in the last 2 decades or so?

One was a grizzled vet who'd already seen everything, and wasn't fazed in the least, even through the incessant calls of "Five-Hole! FIVE-HOLE! You SUCK!", and the constant calls to "Play the rookie! Put OSGOOD in net!" He just refused to listen. Simple as that. Just outright refused to listen. The fans ridiculed him until he Won it all, and suddenly, they were "always behind him."

One was an Olympic Gold Medalist, 2 time Hart, and 6 time Vezina Winner with a resume which was above reproach. Didn't really matter what ANYONE said.....He was the Dominator, damnit, and he KNEW his position. Any and all criticism was met with a well deserved steely gaze, and anyone who disagreed could kindly take a look in his Trophy Case and promptly STFU, thankyouverymuch.

And one....well....

Doesn't matter WHAT you say to him. Doesn't matter what you say ABOUT him. He knows he's good. He know's how to Win. Knows what it takes to play the position in THIS Town, for THIS Team. Just ask him. He'll tell you. He'll tell you over and over and over again. And nothing, absolutely NOTHING you can possibly say, is going to convince him otherwise. You're pissing in the wind. And you know what? Somehow, despite all the screaming and howling to the contrary....

He's been right. For 15 years. Hmph. Go figure!

All three of these goaltenders Won the Cup here. The ONLY goaltenders in recent History to Win the Cup here.

All three couldn't be any more dissimilar. Three totally DIFFERENT types of men, AND different types of goaltenders.

Except for ONE thing.....

They ALL, without exception, REFUSED TO LISTEN.....

.....to you.

Refused to let YOUR expectations weigh them down. Refused to let YOUR opinion of them, and of their ability, dictate THEIR opinion of themselves, and of their ability.

Refused to do ANYTHING other than Play. Just Play. And let the chips fall where they may, regardless of what the fans and the Media had to say.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.....

The next time you wonder why the Wings can't draft that "elite" goaltender you so badly desire....

Look in the mirror for at least PART of the reason why.

And the next time you go looking for that "Franchise" goaltender you feel has eluded this Team, this Franchise....

Take a look at the guy in the #30 Sweater.

The guy with 13 years in the Winged Wheel. The guy with 300+ Career Victories with this Franchise. The guy who's just cracked Top 10 in NHL History. The guy who's backstopped this Team to two Stanley Cups.

The guy who refuses to do anything but Win. Year after year. Season after Season. Despite the black cloud that's driven almost every other man who's attempted to backstop this Team to his knees before finally bowing out because they just couldn't....handle....the pressure.

And when you pshaw! and pffffft! and whaaaaaaat???, take a look at everything he's accomplished for this Franchise, (and he's not done yet!), and ask yourself.....

Is it him that's the problem?

Or is it YOU, and your unrealistic expectations?

[Opie 308]

There are precious few NHL cities who place as much pressure, (and, at times, vitriol bordering on outright hatred), on their own goaltender.

Montreal comes to mind. They've crushed quite a few promising young netminders.

Toronto. Don't really need to mention the glut of quality goaltending there, do I?

Difference seems to be, when Montreal or Toronto goaltenders suck, the fans hate them. But when they do well, they love them.

Detroit fans hate their #1 goaltender, Win or lose. Doesn't matter. Never good enough. It's just never, ever, good enough.

The Wings have been "cursed" with an 18 year drought at the position because this city, and YES, this FANBASE, has crushed every guy who ever had a chance to be anything here, by weighing him down with too much pressure, and far too many expectations, before he ever had a real chance.

For the love of God....

I remember a 2005 PRE-SEASON GAME that Howard played at the Joe. The fans BOO'D him off the ice!!! A KID! Their FUTURE! And after a PRE-SEASON GAME! Amazing....

"Gee, Wally....I wonder why we can't ever draft a quality goaltender?"

Drafting them isn't the problem. They're plenty talented and skilled when they come out of the Draft. They show lots of promise. They look like they've got all the tools.

Unfortunately, they've ALSO usually got the weight of the entire Franchise on their young, inexperienced, HUMAN, shoulders before they ever play a single game for the GRIFFINS, let alone the Detroit Red Wings!

That black cloud of expectation and pressure builds from Draft Day, and gets darker, and heavier, and more ominous with every passing day.

Win. But don't just Win. Win WELL. And more than that.....

Win it ALL. But when you do, you'd better look DAMNED GOOD doing it. Because with this Team, there are no excuses. There's nowhere to hide. If we Win with you, it's only what's expected of you. If we lose with you.....

It's All.

On.

You.

Very few goaltenders have been able to survive the pressure cooker that is the God Spot in Detroit.

The only three to ever have any real success in the last 2 decades or so?

One was a grizzled vet who'd already seen everything, and wasn't fazed in the least, even through the incessant calls of "Five-Hole! FIVE-HOLE! You SUCK!", and the constant calls to "Play the rookie! Put OSGOOD in net!" He just refused to listen. Simple as that. Just outright refused to listen. The fans ridiculed him until he Won it all, and suddenly, they were "always behind him."

One was an Olympic Gold Medalist, 2 time Hart, and 6 time Vezina Winner with a resume which was above reproach. Didn't really matter what ANYONE said.....He was the Dominator, damnit, and he KNEW his position. Any and all criticism was met with a well deserved steely gaze, and anyone who disagreed could kindly take a look in his Trophy Case and promptly STFU, thankyouverymuch.

And one....well....

Doesn't matter WHAT you say to him. Doesn't matter what you say ABOUT him. He knows he's good. He know's how to Win. Knows what it takes to play the position in THIS Town, for THIS Team. Just ask him. He'll tell you. He'll tell you over and over and over again. And nothing, absolutely NOTHING you can possibly say, is going to convince him otherwise. You're pissing in the wind. And you know what? Somehow, despite all the screaming and howling to the contrary....

He's been right. For 15 years. Hmph. Go figure!

All three of these goaltenders Won the Cup here. The ONLY goaltenders in recent History to Win the Cup here.

All three couldn't be any more dissimilar. Three totally DIFFERENT types of men, AND different types of goaltenders.

Except for ONE thing.....

They ALL, without exception, REFUSED TO LISTEN.....

.....to you.

Refused to let YOUR expectations weigh them down. Refused to let YOUR opinion of them, and of their ability, dictate THEIR opinion of themselves, and of their ability.

Refused to do ANYTHING other than Play. Just Play. And let the chips fall where they may, regardless of what the fans and the Media had to say.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.....

The next time you wonder why the Wings can't draft that "elite" goaltender you so badly desire....

Look in the mirror for at least PART of the reason why.

And the next time you go looking for that "Franchise" goaltender you feel has eluded this Team, this Franchise....

Take a look at the guy in the #30 Sweater.

The guy with 13 years in the Winged Wheel. The guy with 300+ Career Victories with this Franchise. The guy who's just cracked Top 10 in NHL History. The guy who's backstopped this Team to two Stanley Cups.

The guy who refuses to do anything but Win. Year after year. Season after Season. Despite the black cloud that's driven almost every other man who's attempted to backstop this Team to his knees before finally bowing out because they just couldn't....handle....the pressure.

And when you pshaw! and pffffft! and whaaaaaaat???, take a look at everything he's accomplished for this Franchise, (and he's not done yet!), and ask yourself.....

Is it him that's the problem?

Or is it YOU, and your unrealistic expectations?

Are you really attempting to tell this fan base to have realistic expectations? Really the same fan base that wants to Murder Sammy because he is a waste, the same fan base that thinks Flip is a waste, the same fan base who s***s on Hudler, the same fan base that currently is debating whether or not anyone on this team has the heart to be a true captain, the same fan base that last year wanted to strip Lids of the 'C', the same fan base who thought Dats was overpaid and would never produce in the postseason just a few years ago, the same fan base that predicts doom and gloom every year (even though this team hasn't missed the playoffs in years), you sir have the unrealistic expectations, what you are saying is true, but what you are expecting won't happen until the Wings go through a Dead Wings era again, and that won't happen unless the Org goes through drastic changes.

Winning brings in fair weather fans of all types, it brings in bandwagoners, nay sayers, negative nanceys, and even the complete homer, realistic expectations are not usually brought on by lots of winning.

My take: (If anyone really gives two sh!ts)

I still think Howard could be legit, I also advocate that GT over every other position takes a lot longer to develop (sort of like Center in the NBA), I think with patience this team can find the starting netminder within their own system, but the pressures of fans will always impact a teams decisions.