The road to success is always under construction.

[interminded 1]

Hey everyone, Chris Osgood is having a bad season !

His stats are abysmal and he is making fans crazy with his inconsistent play.

Am I right or right ?

Right.

Even for me, a die-hard Chris Osgood fan mind you, it is undeniably hard to see him struggle this hard for almost the entire season long.

And believe me, if someone is watching him with closely, it's me (among others).

If he f***s up, he f***s up.. I'm not the one de denying that.

However, there are signs of improvement as of late.

I think he's playing better and he is getting better.

The thing is... we, as a fan-community, are going overboard in the way we watch him play and expect him to play.

Because of his improving play, we now expect him to win every game, despite of how the team plays in front him.

Newsflash: like any goalie, Ozzie needs a good team in front of him that will come to play every game.

If he gets hung out to dry, then somebody screwed up long before the puck ended up in the net, i.e. the two recent losses (Islanders and Predators.)

We do not win 82 games. We will lose games. With or without Ozzie.

To avoid a discussion: out of those 6 goals against in those two games, he should have stopped one.

Let's go easy on Chris.

Whether you like it or not, we do need him and you know it.

Ty Conklin is a good guy and a good goaltender, but as much as some people do not have confidence in Ozzie, I don't think Ty Conklin is the man who will solve it all.

And deep down everyone knows that's likely to be true.

Ozzie will come through when the Wings need him, he still is one of the top goalies in the NHL.

Why do I say that while I have really nothing to support that ?

Honestly, I don't know.

Even as a fan and despite his improving game, it's real hard for me to be optimistic and assume we will at least get to the conference finals.

Not only has Ozzie given me very little to have faith in, but our defense does not even come close to last year's steady force.

But as a fan I do believe in Ozzie and this team. Every single one of 'em.

I know what he's capable of.

I know that he's a Red Wing by heart and he will give it his all.

I just know.

Maybe in a month or so, I'll punch myself in the mouth for being such a naïve ass.

But for now, I have faith in this team.

I just ******* have to.

[Guest mindfly]

Osgood is NOT a top goalie in the league, and he has never been nor will he ever be, he's one of them players whose career looks impressive but in fact it's the teammates they play with, osgood has been fortunate to have a solid D for so many years, facing what 22-25shots per night, any goalie can do that, get wins and look impressive, that's osgood in a nutshell. Nothing more nothing less

Word of the day: "Career back-up goaltender"

Just my 2.

[Casey 145]

Osgood is NOT a top goalie in the league, and he has never been nor will he ever be, he's one of them players whose career looks impressive but in fact it's the teammates they play with, osgood has been fortunate to have a solid D for so many years, facing what 22-25shots per night, any goalie can do that, get wins and look impressive, that's osgood in a nutshell. Nothing more nothing less

Word of the day: "Career back-up goaltender"

Just my 2.

Explain the Islanders under Ozzie's care, please. He dragged them kicking and screaming into the playoffs.

I'm not saying he's an elite goalie, but he has carried teams before.

[Guest Shoreline]

Ozzie has never done anything for this team. He's just a #2 goalie who's never helped any team win a cup. He's the worst goalie ever and he sucks. This team needs a Stanley Cup hero like Curtis Joseph who knows how to win cups. Or maybe Roberto Luongo. That guy has a ton of 'em too.

[Doc Holiday 0]

Osgood is NOT a top goalie in the league, and he has never been nor will he ever be, he's one of them players whose career looks impressive but in fact it's the teammates they play with, osgood has been fortunate to have a solid D for so many years, facing what 22-25shots per night, any goalie can do that, get wins and look impressive, that's osgood in a nutshell. Nothing more nothing less

Word of the day: "Career back-up goaltender"

Just my 2.

It is posts like these that make people not take you seriously.

[sixer 37]

Osgood should be benched forever. His days are done. Unless Conklin gets injured, I'd like to see him start every game moving forward.

If management goes with Ozzie in the playoffs, we'll be out first round.

It's demoralizing to the team when they work hard for a couple goals and have Osgood unable to close it out for them or even give them a chance from the beginning.

Conks might not be the starter for a less then average team, but the Wings don't expect stellar goaltending. Consistent average goaltending is all they expect.

Osgood is not giving us that, at all.

Goodbye Ozzie, thanks for everything in the past. Your days are done, at least for this year and hopefully we trade you next year.

[Doc Holiday 0]

Osgood should be benched forever. His days are done. Unless Conklin gets injured, I'd like to see him start every game moving forward.

If management goes with Ozzie in the playoffs, we'll be out first round.

It's demoralizing to the team when they work hard for a couple goals and have Osgood unable to close it out for them or even give them a chance from the beginning.

Conks might not be the starter for a less then average team, but the Wings don't expect stellar goaltending. Consistent average goaltending is all they expect.

Osgood is not giving us that, at all.

Goodbye Ozzie, thanks for everything in the past. Your days are done, at least for this year and hopefully we trade you next year.

Yay.

[Guest Shoreline]

It is posts like these that make people not take you seriously.

Why not take him seriously? Ozzie has played bad for like, eleventy billion years. This season the defense has played perfectly in front of him and Conklin, which explains the #1 PK in the league, and I dare you to find any highlight reel goals of opposing offenses undressing this impenetrable fortress of a defense. You can't can you? Can you?! I didn't think so. This is all Osbad's fault. I bet all those fans not showing up at the JLA are just protesting Osgood. He should just hang up his skates since he can't ever win a cup.

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

Thread fail

[Guest mindfly]

Last year he made the saves he suppose to do in the playoffs, yay all good, but it was the team, mostly the D that won it.. he wasn't spectacular just good, and that's about it (same with 98' cup)... successful career? not really, i'd say the guy has been very lucky.

Edited March 30, 2009 by mindfly

[Doc Holiday 0]

Last year he made the saves he suppose to do in the playoffs, yay all good, but it was the team, mostly the D that won it.. he wasn't spectacular just good, and that's about it (same with 98' cup)... successful career? not really, i'd say the guy has been very lucky.

Yeah, those stacked Islanders and Blues teams really carried him.

[maltbymaniac 13]

i HAVE figured out WHY ozzie IS playing LIKE crap!

2 words = barry manilow

how could anyone get pumped up to play a game listening to that crap(sorry manilow fans) but he needs to listen to some slipknot or somthing along those lines.

[Guest Shoreline]

Mindfly after a Preds loss:

Last year he made the saves he suppose to do in the playoffs, yay all good, but it was the team, mostly the D that won it.. he wasn't spectacular just good, and that's about it (same with 98' cup)... successful career? not really, i'd say the guy has been very lucky.

Mindfly after a Wings SCF Game 5 loss:

Open your eyes man, Fleury has been outstanding, Osgood has been average... that has been the difference in this series, especially in the last game.

Dont even mention the shutouts in the first games, it was all wings D's effort.

Well Fleruy is really outplaying osgood and when he does that it means the wings D and O gotta be like 2x better than Pens D&O...If wings would've had a goalie like Turco/Ellis the few mistakes wings did wouldnt have been noticed.. sort of.

No difference at all.

[Reds4Life 51]

Osgood sucks this season and he would be waived had he played for any other team.

[Outsider 42]

Osgood sucks this season and he would be waived had he played for any other team.

Maybe part of the reason why the Wings have had such success over the course of the past decade and a half is their avoidance of knee-jerk reactions such as that which you've just suggested.

Nah......couldn't be.....

[MacAttack25 44]

Osgood has been bad this season. At the time when St. Louis waived Legace, even he had better stats than Osgood. I'm not sure why we're always asked to give him a chance to turn it around or just wait for him to play like "we know he can". Why don't we just let Conklin, who has played better this season, play and make sure he is ready for the playoffs. Conklin has had his slip ups as well, but I think he's been much more consistent than Osgood.

[55fan 5,133]

I'm also a die-hard Ozzie fan who is concerned about his play this season. I was pondering this as I tried to sleep last night, and came up with something that I can't validate, so I'll throw it out to the rest of you:

Do you think the team has too much confidence in Ozzie? He played so well during the playoffs, as did the defense. This year I can't count the number of times where the D has let him down.

We've all been noticing the lackluster play in all areas of the game (save the last part of some 3rd periods, or big games where we've kicked butt). Do you folks think that the D is trusting Ozzie to make the saves, and that's why they are not going balls-to-the-wall for him?

He's made some brilliant saves this year, and he's let in some softies. He did the same last year. Last year there were very few games where the D left him hanging (the nasty Chicago game comes to mind). This year it seems to happen a lot.

[OsGOD 3]

Word of the day: "Career back-up goaltender"

Sounds to me like that is more than one(1) word... no?

career backup would infer that he never reached starter status and being that you must be new to the hockey world i can see that so... but he has handled the bulk load of the games before and might i remind you if it wasn't for him LAST YEAR we wouldn't have even turned around the first round and continued on to the cup...

my 2 cents

Ozzie has never done anything for this team. He's just a #2 goalie who's never helped any team win a cup. He's the worst goalie ever and he sucks. This team needs a Stanley Cup hero like Curtis Joseph who knows how to win cups. Or maybe Roberto Luongo. That guy has a ton of 'em too.

those two champs make me smile every day... i mean s*** i am not even an elite goalie and i have just as many cups as them!!!

Edited March 30, 2009 by OsGOD

[Hockeytown_Ryan 122]

I'm also a die-hard Ozzie fan who is concerned about his play this season. I was pondering this as I tried to sleep last night, and came up with something that I can't validate, so I'll throw it out to the rest of you:

Do you think the team has too much confidence in Ozzie? He played so well during the playoffs, as did the defense. This year I can't count the number of times where the D has let him down.

We've all been noticing the lackluster play in all areas of the game (save the last part of some 3rd periods, or big games where we've kicked butt). Do you folks think that the D is trusting Ozzie to make the saves, and that's why they are not going balls-to-the-wall for him?

He's made some brilliant saves this year, and he's let in some softies. He did the same last year. Last year there were very few games where the D left him hanging (the nasty Chicago game comes to mind). This year it seems to happen a lot.

Well Let's look at the "Osgood Resume for pressure situations" 98 Playoffs.... All 3 series featured a goal from the the Neutral zone.....Last year in the Finals OT of game 5...IMO he should of made that save too....

All year this year when the pressure is on Osgood is off......

I don't think those are the fault of the"D"... He has a track record of letting in timely goals and not being in position when the game is on the line... His game is not the same... You do bring good points as far as the "D" isnt as stellar as it should be, or as solid as we have seen them play,and injuries should not be used as a way out of that fact. Yes we miss Lilja...But let's step it up. All good veterans should know how to do that. Stuart , Rafalski...Have been less than Awesome on the Defensive side of the puck....But thats where having a Reliable goalie is supposed to compensate for that.

[OsGOD 3]

Well Let's look at the "Osgood Resume for pressure situations" 98 Playoffs.... All 3 series featured a goal from the the Neutral zone.....Last year in the Finals OT of game 5...IMO he should of made that save too....

All year this year when the pressure is on Osgood is off......

I don't think those are the fault of the"D"... He has a track record of letting in timely goals and not being in position when the game is on the line... His game is not the same... You do bring good points as far as the "D" isnt as stellar as it should be, or as solid as we have seen them play,and injuries should not be used as a way out of that fact. Yes we miss Lilja...But let's step it up. All good veterans should know how to do that. Stuart , Rafalski...Have been less than Awesome on the Defensive side of the puck....But thats where having a Reliable goalie is supposed to compensate for that.

we've had reliable goalies in the past... remember back to cujo... posted a 1.00gaa in the Playoffs and we still managed to lose... and not only that the fans still to this day blame him and is 1.00gaa for the loss...

so basically i just take that as the fans know s*** and just like to place blame on the one position that is most noticeable game in and game out. Doesn't matter what sport (well except bball as they don't really have a single position that stands out) but you got Baseball (pitcher), Football (Quarterback) and hockey (goalie) some is warranted but more often then not, the other players on the ice, grass, dirt are to blame just the same.

[KrazyGangsta 79]

I don't disagree with you, I just hope he regains himself before we get out of the playoffs.

[Hockeytown_Ryan 122]

we've had reliable goalies in the past... remember back to cujo... posted a 1.00gaa in the Playoffs and we still managed to lose... and not only that the fans still to this day blame him and is 1.00gaa for the loss...

so basically i just take that as the fans know s*** and just like to place blame on the one position that is most noticeable game in and game out. Doesn't matter what sport (well except bball as they don't really have a single position that stands out) but you got Baseball (pitcher), Football (Quarterback) and hockey (goalie) some is warranted but more often then not, the other players on the ice, grass, dirt are to blame just the same.

Obviously you approve of Osgood Starting the Playoffs then?

Im not sure i am ..... When was the last time Osgood Stole a game for us? a one goal game where he made a game changing save? and put momentum back on our side? And How many times has it happened this year

Im not saying It's ALL Osgood ... It sounds like it I know. It's is a team effort. and it's a A-Z fault thing,

But when the game is on the line and a desperate team needs a goal, ......He can't be trusted.

I can remember back to last playoffs when there would be a Great scoring chance and i was waiting to see what happened... Now i cover my eyes and can't watch. the team isnt playing well and Osgood is the last line of "D". so Blame the "D" if you want.. Osgood's position is on the Defensive side of the game

[Datsyerberger 279]

Well Let's look at the "Osgood Resume for pressure situations" 98 Playoffs.... All 3 series featured a goal from the the Neutral zone.....Last year in the Finals OT of game 5...IMO he should of made that save too....

All year this year when the pressure is on Osgood is off......

Brodeur, .856

Roy, statue of liberty

Two things Ozzie has never done in the playoffs.

Edited March 30, 2009 by Datsyerberger

[OsGOD 3]

Obviously you approve of Osgood Starting the Playoffs then?

Im not sure i am ..... When was the last time Osgood Stole a game for us? a one goal game where he made a game changing save? and put momentum back on our side? And How many times has it happened this year

Im not saying It's ALL Osgood ... It sounds like it I know. It's is a team effort. and it's a A-Z fault thing,

But when the game is on the line and a desperate team needs a goal, ......He can't be trusted.

I can remember back to last playoffs when there would be a Great scoring chance and i was waiting to see what happened... Now i cover my eyes and can't watch. the team isnt playing well and Osgood is the last line of "D". so Blame the "D" if you want.. Osgood's position is on the Defensive side of the game

I am very confident in 1) osgood starting in the playoffs (maybe erroneously as all those Hasek supporters were last year...but that is yet to be determined without at least 2 Playoff games in the books this season) and 2) that if needed Conklin can come in and play awesome relief when needed.

he has a 24-15 record... conklin has a 25-11 record... together the wings have a 49-27 record (howie had the other loss) I feel damn confident in a team that with only a few games has almost doubled their winning games over their losses

Edited March 30, 2009 by OsGOD

[Hockeytown_Ryan 122]

Brodeur, .856

Roy, statue of liberty

Two things Ozzie has never done in the playoffs.

Comparing Apples to Oranges there ......

Edited March 30, 2009 by Hockeytown_Ryan