Am I the only one who finds this ridiculous ?

[hotwings24 4]

I was thinking that earlier this season but the Wings are just teasing us hanging around in 8th place. This is killing me. I don't want to see the streak end. If we were in St. Louis's position right now I wouldn't care but we are hanging in there and I really hate the flames and don't want them to make the playoffs over us.

well teams have their ups and downs, and i feel that changes are going to be made. its time, some of the guys are going to go to other places, i could see that coming.

side note not in subject to my responce of this quotation:

Its not the same anymore.....(dramatic pause) we may just love the changes next season, some goalies go up and some go down, my thought would be, on the goaltender thing, im sure babcock has a reason for what hes doin, and the kid hasnt been too horrible, im going to cut him slack. honestly, there have been times where even ozzie has been cut alot of slack.

Im not a rider of goalies being i used to play a lil - defenseman should get some of the blame as well as others I know that all too well. its not always ridden on the goalie, and well, this is just a friendly reminder to all that dont like jim howard or dispise osgood. even i have learned its not always whats in the net that is the problem. It can be a lil of both or it could be like a dominick hasek and a buffalo sabres thing, good goalie in front of a rotten young team. i mean, young guys dont know it all, and when your veterans are giving out a little bit . i mean its not easy.

Look at lidstroms job on defense, he logs alot of ice time and i feel, that it's getting harder on him, because he is getting older. pretty soon you tap the well long enough its gonna run dry in some instances. this is just a for instance, im not saying lidstrom's play is bad. I just feel his play is changing.. age does alot of crappy things to all of us. I hope hes able to stick it out another year and play, but, it could be his last season according to the detroit news all of his decisions are up in the air. I love lidstrom to death, but iw ouldnt blame him if he moved on.

But- would this be a problem for the wings? can they hack it without lidstrom? I guess time will tell that story, cause its more than just the goaltenders here that I am worried about.

[Guest lilja4mvp]

Please, try to be rational at least somewhat.

If the Red Wings won Game 7, the Conn Smythe was easily going to Chris Osgood.

could have just as easily went to Z, especially if he had a point or 2 in game 7.

[hotwings24 4]

Oh how soon we forget. Osgood WAS amazing in the playoffs the past two post seasons. No one can deny that. Even moreso last postseason and had we won he would of been MVP.

Okay, this is just a thought/ idea sorta side comment to what you have said.

If i remember it was that no goaltender has won as a starting goalie past the age of 36. i wonder if there isnt a reason behind the madness. could it be the goalies expiration date? It's possible, cause it hasnt happened yet..

so, with that being said, wouldnt we go with youth and enthusiasm, it may not be as good as old and smart in some instances, but it may get us to where we need to be. its okay to defend goaltenders, but all goalies have their time. there are alot of goalies in this league that I have loved to watch, alot of the ones i have liked retired - but- its time to let the young ones have a shot, that id be willing to do. and i think the season is the ticket.

because if u noticed, everyone else hasnt been top par, though i agree osgood wouldve been mvp, you only have so many good years in you, goalies get very worn down. I have had three that I played in front of. its the knees that wear out the quickest, im sure as we all know. then the flexibility, then the glove hand and so on. so, with that being said, may b oth goalies get to play in the playoffs and may we all just rest a lil easier knowing they both got a shot? i think that sounds good.

[toby91_ca 620]

Okay, this is just a thought/ idea sorta side comment to what you have said.

If i remember it was that no goaltender has won as a starting goalie past the age of 36. i wonder if there isnt a reason behind the madness. could it be the goalies expiration date? It's possible, cause it hasnt happened yet..

Wasn't Hasek 37 when the Wings won in 2002? Regardless, I think players are playing longer than they used to, but that said, you certainly due decline with age and we've seen Lidstrom's minutes start to come down, for example. With a goalie winning in the playoffs, I guess the thought might be, sure you can still play in the NHL into your late 30s, but are you going to still have enough to actually lead your team to a cup? I think that's a good question.

[b-random 0]

I didn't bother reading through this thread but I agree with the OP, it is ridiculous. He hasn't even been that bad this season. Sure he's struggled, but so did the rest of our team. I'm sure there is more to it then we know, but regardless...I think Babcock is putting too much faith in Howard. I think Howard is gonna have a great career, but Osgood is a proven playoff performer and Babcock basically gave him the year off. Osgood is a MAJOR reason we made the SCF the last 2 seasons, people seem to have such short memories in regards to Osgood. That's my opinion and I'm not even a big Osgood fan.

[hotwings24 4]

Wasn't Hasek 37 when the Wings won in 2002? Regardless, I think players are playing longer than they used to, but that said, you certainly due decline with age and we've seen Lidstrom's minutes start to come down, for example. With a goalie winning in the playoffs, I guess the thought might be, sure you can still play in the NHL into your late 30s, but are you going to still have enough to actually lead your team to a cup? I think that's a good question.

very true, and indeed i forgot that and yes, the way that the question is possed now sounds alot better, thanks!

[interminded 1]

I didn't bother reading through this thread but I agree with the OP, it is ridiculous. He hasn't even been that bad this season. Sure he's struggled, but so did the rest of our team. I'm sure there is more to it then we know, but regardless...I think Babcock is putting too much faith in Howard. I think Howard is gonna have a great career, but Osgood is a proven playoff performer and Babcock basically gave him the year off. Osgood is a MAJOR reason we made the SCF the last 2 seasons, people seem to have such short memories in regards to Osgood. That's my opinion and I'm not even a big Osgood fan.

Well said, sir.

[Guest mindfly]

So funny reading this thread the only ones constantly defending osgood is his fanboys

[The Secret 304]

Why is Mike Babcock not playing Chris Osgood on the second game of a back-to-back ?

This is flatout humiliating for a goaltender of Ozzie's caliber. What is he thinking ?

Babcock is showing once more that he's mediocre at best when it comes to the 'human' side of coaching.

Why would consciously render you second goaltender useless by sitting him this ******* long ?????

This will backfire someday..

Besides that, I think.. KNOW that Chris Osgood has some wins in him.

Don't treat him like there's sitting some snot nosed college goaltender on the bench.

Why don't ppl understand that we are scrapping for every point this season and we NEED the players on the ice that give us the best chance to win. Osgood has been garbage this season and Howard has been better... thats why Howard is getting in as many games as he is, to give him as much NHL exposure as he can get bc chances are likely that he will be starting if we make the playoffs. We do not have any wiggle room at all to let Osgood work out his problems on the ice during games when he has been horrible pretty well every time he has had game play. If we were sitting pretty in a secured playoff spot I might see your point but we are not and Babcock is going with the tender thats giving us the best chance to win.

[55fan 5,133]

So funny reading this thread the only ones constantly defending osgood is his fanboys

AND fangirls. Don't forget about those of us who think Ozzie is hot as heck as well as a great goaltender.

[Guest mindfly]

AND fangirls. Don't forget about those of us who think Ozzie is hot as heck as well as a great goaltender.

Oh behave, a mature woman like you shouldn't be attracted to young boys ;-)

[55fan 5,133]

Oh behave, a mature woman like you shouldn't be attracted to young boys ;-)

Ozzie is almost 40. He's fair game.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I didn't bother reading through this thread but I agree with the OP, it is ridiculous. He hasn't even been that bad this season. Sure he's struggled, but so did the rest of our team. I'm sure there is more to it then we know, but regardless...I think Babcock is putting too much faith in Howard. I think Howard is gonna have a great career, but Osgood is a proven playoff performer and Babcock basically gave him the year off. Osgood is a MAJOR reason we made the SCF the last 2 seasons, people seem to have such short memories in regards to Osgood. That's my opinion and I'm not even a big Osgood fan.

I love Osgood, but this isn't the past 2 seasons. This is THIS season. While everybody is going to have varying degrees of how they think he has played overall this season good and bad, I personally think he hasn't been that bad either despite what a recent poster The Secret has said, but that's not the point.

The fact is Jimmy Howard had an opportunity to get more starts in when Osgood got down with the flu. He took that opportunity and ran with it pretty well. Could Osgood have gotten a start or two more down the road? Sure, but he certainly hasn't fully helped his cause in the limited time he has been in, the Wings were ridiculously injured, the Wings don't have the luxury of shifting between goalies and already having secured a playoff spot, and Howard has done very little or nothing to show that he's lost the #1 job and shown nothing to suggest that he is wearing out.

You hate to lose your job to somebody else because you were injured or sick and I certainly feel for Osgood, but this isn't the first time it has happened in sports, regardless of the sport or level of competition.

The Wings and Babcock do not have time to stroke Osgood's ego, be nice, or fair to him or give him starts to see if he plays more consistent when they are fighting for every point possible and Howard playing so well and not showing signs of mentally or physically wearing out.

If it's not broke presently, no need to fix it.

[Opie 308]

I think the only valid argument for starting Ozzie right now is sentimental, either to get 300 (my personal fave) or because he deserves it for what he has done.

Currently both of those are outweighed by the number 8, as in number of teams that get into the playoffs in the west.

I really would like to see Ozzie get 300 in the winged wheel.

[Frozen-Man 144]

So funny reading this thread the only ones constantly defending osgood is his fanboys

And the only one making up rumors about Osgood is Mindfly.