Dear Chris Osgood,

[Guest Four]

I'll admit it, he proved me wrong. I just wasn't expecting him to change so fast

[Ms_Hockey 0]

20 saves gets a thread now does it? There's still plenty of time to collapse. Or win another Cup. Is there really a point to these type of threads popping up though? Just post something the player will never read in the GDT. You realize Osgood gets paid to not lose the game himself right?

If people can post "TRADE/KILL/STEAMROLL/DECAPITATE OSGOOD" threads after one loss, then they most certainly can make "Dear Osgood" threads after one win. It's not the amount of saves me made, it's the quality of saves me made. He may not have faced a lot of shots, but the ones he did face, Osgood showed up REAL big for this team when he needed to.

And isn't that what it's all about? Isn't it only fair to appreciate that?

[RedWingAbner 13]

Translation: I'll wait to bash Osgood until he has a bad game, because I'd get jumped on if I did it now.

Translation: I'll continually support Osgood, even though he crapped the bed all season, and refuse to admit that there is any reason to be concerned about goaltending.

Yes, when he plays like crap, I think that it's fair to say. Tonight he was fine. But it was, again, one game.

[RedWingAbner 13]

....Still think you should give it a rest and give Oz a rest and just be a really good guy and go stand in him for practice tomorrow. I'm sure if he knew your true feelings, he'd be thrilled to let you help out.

Jesus. Do you read the entire post, or just mine? I am objectively saying that he had a good game, but it is still one game. Osgood has had a great career....as did Bill Ranford....and playing well in one playoff game doesn't mean he's back to top form. Again, I point out, I was not bashing him, simply stating that it's a bit early to nominate him for the Conn Smythe.

I'm sure if Osgood knew your true feelings, his wife would be uncomfortable. Give it a rest.

[Mors 201]

Osgood carried the weight during those initial stupid penalties by Rafalski, if he hadn't the score would have looked a lot different after the 1st period.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Ozzie was brilliant and made some quality saves in the second and third periods when they needed them.

And this is what its about. I said yesterday that Ozzie doesn't need the D to step up for him to step up his game, just like the D shouldn't need Ozzie to step up for them to step up their game. Last night, was point-and-case for both. The first period with our D giving up quite a bit (especially given the PK trouble they got in) Ozzie stepped up big time and kept the Wings in the game. From the second period on, the D looked like they did last Spring, and Ozzie didn't have too much work.

Even with his reduced workload from the second period on, Ozzie made the saves the Wings needed him to make. That's the Ozzie the Wings need. He was great last night, plain and simple.....and it wasn't because of the D in the first period.

[The Secret 304]

One game at a time! Osgood stopped everything that he should have and thats all we really need of him.... its all we have ever really needed of him. The whole team looked good and finally our 3rd line looked like they will be giving the opponents something morew to think about. The only change I'd make would be to yank Kopecky out and put Leino in.

[KrazyGangsta 79]

Yes it might be just one game that he played good but it's probably the most important. This game will help him carry his momentum and confidence.

Props to Osgood glad to see him play good again.

Edited April 17, 2009 by KrazyGangsta

[stormboy 47]

All aboard the bandwagon! *driver speeds off just out of fan's reach so he has to run a few miles before being allowed back on*

i agree with almost all of your posts, and because of the bolded part of the post below, there's obviously some validity in what you're saying.

still, i'm a little bothered by the snobby attitude. there were points in the season where it looked like osgood was absolutely not ready to lead a team in the playoffs. i think it's unfair to call people bandwagon fans because they were frustrated and upset by ozzie not playing up to his potential. sure, if someone was calling for him to be traded or cut and is now sucking him off, they can be called a bandwagon fan. it just feels a little unfair to me to criticize everyone who is posting positive comments on this thread as bandwagon fans.

sorry.

Your thread title makes me smile, because I JUST posted this to Facebook:

Dear Mr. Osgood,

I take back everything bad I ever said about you. You are my hero. Sorry for doubting you.

Your new Best Friend,

- Jonathan

P.S. - If you screw up at all, even in the slightest... you're back on my s*** list.

[OsGOD 3]

i agree with almost all of your posts, and because of the bolded part of the post below, there's obviously some validity in what you're saying.

still, i'm a little bothered by the snobby attitude. there were points in the season where it looked like osgood was absolutely not ready to lead a team in the playoffs. i think it's unfair to call people bandwagon fans because they were frustrated and upset by ozzie not playing up to his potential. sure, if someone was calling for him to be traded or cut and is now sucking him off, they can be called a bandwagon fan. it just feels a little unfair to me to criticize everyone who is posting positive comments on this thread as bandwagon fans.

sorry.

So if it helps your translation... change Bandwagon to Fickle. Good thing the points in the season where he sucked were in the season and not the post season, eh?

people are too quick to jump on and off players simples as that. Ozzie played exactly as i have been saying he would in the PO's when so many FICKLE fans were doubting him.

Praise Ozzie!

[jvxp 0]

Your thread title makes me smile, because I JUST posted this to Facebook:

Dear Mr. Osgood,

I take back everything bad I ever said about you. You are my hero. Sorry for doubting you.

Your new Best Friend,

- Jonathan

P.S. - If you screw up at all, even in the slightest... you're back on my s*** list.

:lol:

[betterREDthandead 58]

Translation: I'll continually support Osgood, even though he crapped the bed all season, and refuse to admit that there is any reason to be concerned about goaltending.

Precisely. His career of work has earned it. Like I said earlier: if you don't think by now he's earned the right to have the confidence of Wings fans, then you never had confidence in him to begin with. Unlike some, I don't root only for the players who are doing well and s*** on the ones who aren't.

[Reds4Life 51]

OK he had great game and I am happy for him. But that does not change the fact that he sucked all season and when some people start criticizing him some other people jump in and we have a fight. Why shouldn't one have "right" to call bad play a bad play. Osgood did suck and yet the moment someone said that out loud there was a fight. I am not some bandwagon fan but when some player sucks I will say he sucks despite the fact that I am fan of the team. Blind always optimistic homer is a lot worse than pessimist imho. For example mindfly gets bashed a lot for what he says despite the fact that he is right.

[deker 0]

"I lead the team in wins for a reason"

Osgood, that was really arrogant, but funny to hear at the same time.

I loved...LOVED...hearing him say all those things to the media last night. I want Ozzie to show some arrogance. I really believe this is one of the reason people can be so quick to doubt him-because of his mild mannered politeness after games. A little bit of Patrick Roy syndrome wouldn't hurt. A lot of Roy's legendary status came from his arrogant attitude. He's considered one of the greatest in net...but we Red Wing fans know that he can be lit up for 7 or 9 goals more often than people realize. Yet no one ever doubted him the way Ozzie gets doubted.

Now, I'm certainly not suggesting Ozzie turn into Roy at all. But I certainly wouldn't have an issue if he told a Columbus player during a game that he can't hear him because he's got his Stanley Cup rings in his ears! (Well...maybe something original! ) Because all that stuff builds up your "legend" and causes doubt and fear in the other team. You don't always have to let just your game do the talking!

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Precisely. His career of work has earned it. Like I said earlier: if you don't think by now he's earned the right to have the confidence of Wings fans, then you never had confidence in him to begin with. Unlike some, I don't root only for the players who are doing well and s*** on the ones who aren't.

The problem is that some people let their emotions get the best of them. I have no problem calling out a player when they aren't playing up to snuff, but there's a massive difference between constructively criticizing a players' current level of play and s***ting on them. Ozzie's done so much winning throughout his career and you don't earn the numbers and hardware he's has without being consistently one of the better players at his position.

I guess my point is that I have no problem when members post their concerns about any player that's not playing at the level they should/could be. It's the ones that can't keep their emotion in check and start (or join in on) a new "Player 'A' Sucks" thread immediately after a Wings loss that irritate me.

[OsGOD 3]

It's the ones that can't keep their emotion in check and start (or join in on) a new "Player 'A' Sucks" thread immediately after a Wings loss that irritate me.

lol queue up the authors of at least the next 15 ozzie or Stewie sucks threads after our first loss this post season

[Ms_Hockey 0]

I really don't think any of us should be reading into each others' posts as much as we are. I mean, Osgood played a GREAT game last night. There's nothing wrong with giving him a little praise for it. However, there's no need to start throwing around the "bandwagon" word, nor is there any need to come in the thread and tell people to chill out because it was just one game.

When I was younger & I'd win a hockey game, my parents would congratulate me. They certainly didn't tell each other they were jumping on a bandwagon and/or not to congratulate me because it was "only one game". Different circumstances, yes.. but I think it makes my point. One game or not... Osgood should be congratulated for his play last night. That's all there is to it.

[Ms_Hockey 0]

OK he had great game and I am happy for him. But that does not change the fact that he sucked all season and when some people start criticizing him some other people jump in and we have a fight. Why shouldn't one have "right" to call bad play a bad play. Osgood did suck and yet the moment someone said that out loud there was a fight. I am not some bandwagon fan but when some player sucks I will say he sucks despite the fact that I am fan of the team. Blind always optimistic homer is a lot worse than pessimist imho. For example mindfly gets bashed a lot for what he says despite the fact that he is right.

The issue is that this thread wasn't made to discuss Osgood's regular season play - at all. It was made to congratulate him on his performance LAST NIGHT. Some people have decided that saying he played well last night means he's been stellar all season. It doesn't. But this isn't the thread for regular season sucky discussions.

[RedWingAbner 13]

Precisely. His career of work has earned it. Like I said earlier: if you don't think by now he's earned the right to have the confidence of Wings fans, then you never had confidence in him to begin with. Unlike some, I don't root only for the players who are doing well and s*** on the ones who aren't.

Well, agree to disagree. I think that you can be a fan and not have to blindly love a guy just because he's on your team and did well before. I appreciate what Osgood did, but this isn't grade school, his profession puts him in the spotlight and fans have a right to be critical, regardless of the fact that some fans think that this is blasphemous.

[Reds4Life 51]

The issue is that this thread wasn't made to discuss Osgood's regular season play - at all. It was made to congratulate him on his performance LAST NIGHT. Some people have decided that saying he played well last night means he's been stellar all season. It doesn't. But this isn't the thread for regular season sucky discussions.

That is not my point.

My point is that when Wings suck (and they did this at times this season) or some player in particular (Osgood this season) and someone actually say it out loud, like "this team sucks" in that very moment there will be a throng of blind homers bashing the one who wrote "this team sucks".

And that is just wrong.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Reds4Life

[Ms_Hockey 0]

That is not my point.

My point is that when Wings suck (and they did this at times this season) or some player in particular (Osgood this season) and someone actually say it out loud, like "this team sucks" in that very moment there will be a throng of blind homers bashing the one who wrote "this team sucks".

And that is just wrong.

It's equally wrong to say a team sucks after one bad game. I think there's a lot of miscommunication going on. If you think the particular game sucked, say so. If you think the Wings play in that game sucked - by all means, make that clear. But when someone comes in and says "This team sucks this season", you're damn right some of us are going to raise our eyebrows and wonder what planet they dropped off of.

I haven't been pleased with the play all of the regular season, but I knew the team and had enough faith in the team to not go around shouting how horrible they are. I knew they'd shape up in time because it's the Red Wings. That's all I needed to know. I could criticize their play, but I never lost my faith in them. How is a board full of people supposed to take it when people around saying "We suck, we won't make it passed the first round," etc.

There's a fine line between being realistic and calling the play for what it is and sounding like a disgruntled (I hate to use this word) bandwagon fan.. and some of the posters, when they're angry after a loss, flirt with that line pretty heavily.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Ms_Hockey

[Guest Shoreline]

Don't you ever let it go?

Won't you just enjoy an awesome victory for what it was? Good God man...

I did enjoy it, but I also enjoy handing out a little crow for the negative nancies. Do you ever let it go? Answer: no.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I really don't think any of us should be reading into each others' posts as much as we are. I mean, Osgood played a GREAT game last night. There's nothing wrong with giving him a little praise for it. However, there's no need to start throwing around the "bandwagon" word, nor is there any need to come in the thread and tell people to chill out because it was just one game.

When I was younger & I'd win a hockey game, my parents would congratulate me. They certainly didn't tell each other they were jumping on a bandwagon and/or not to congratulate me because it was "only one game". Different circumstances, yes.. but I think it makes my point. One game or not... Osgood should be congratulated for his play last night. That's all there is to it.

Here here! You 'get it' Ms_Hockey

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

lol queue up the authors of at least the next 15 ozzie or Stewie sucks threads after our first loss this post season

Or the 15 we've already had this season.

[Vladifan 680]

"I told you so" is something people who want to blame Ozzie for the team losing will be after, since statistically the Wings stand a faaaar better chance of losing out in the playoffs than winning the cup. However, this absolutely horrendous, catastrophic, end-of-the-world 2nd place finish was made possible by the team, not by Ozzie exclusively. Ozzie helped, Conklin helped, Lidstrom helped, Lebda helped, and so on and so forth. Personally, I'd rather focus on the fact that the team still won with everyone they did despite the glaringly obvious defensive lapses aplenty, and focus on what needs to be done in the playoffs. That, instead of sitting there and s***ting all over players on the Red Wings just because I can't stand my team losing any games, and thus drop the guillotine on some player like it would mean instant success for the team. Knee-jerk, overreactions is what this was all about. If people doubted Ozzie they should have doubted the team as a whole. For the most part, people were logical and understood this. A few, who I'm sure are populated on many ignore lists, decided to trash the living hell out of Ozzie all season because he didn't have a statistically superb season, which meant s*** in the season (since the team was still winning), and means even less in the playoffs, as proven today.

Bottom line is I support Ozzie, and support means through the good and bad, not just jumping ship when things go bad and acting like a chicken with it's head cut off, finding people to blame and throw off the team over such a horrible 2nd place finish.

On behalf of team fans everywhere, thanks.