66 replies to this topic

[Z and D for the C]

The best and most consistent regular season goalie? Yes.

[newfy]

Nothing wrong with those comments at all. Even if Babcock is taking a shot at Ozzy, good. The guy plays lights out in the playoffs then can't make a save in teh regular season to save his life. He is the pinnacle of inconsistency. WIth Howard I really think we've got a goalie for the future and can count on him for years to come. He needs some playoff experience this year.

[Hockeytown0001]

Hasek was crap in the time period when babcock was here, 2002 was a different story.

Really?

2006-07
38-11-6, 2.05 GAA, .913 SV %, 8 SO

2007-08
27-10-3, 2.14 GAA, .902 SV %, 5 SO

Edited by Hockeytown0001, 28 March 2010 - 11:47 AM.

[Echolalia]

I feel like this place over analyzes everything that gets published in the media. Babs most likely wanted to praise Howie for being a strong goalie and wasn't even thinking about Osgood or Hasek when he said that.

[Sergei Fedorov91]

I bet McCarty wants to meet him at center ice..lol

[Hockeytown0001]

I bet McCarty wants to meet him at center ice..lol

[Andy Pred 48]

the $6m ? is, will Oz want to be a back up next year?

[eva unit zero]

Babcock is more taking a shot at Osgood than he is praising Howard.

Howard has been extremely good, but Osgood was a legit Vezina contender despite only playing half the season, and then went on to ramp up his play to lead the team to the Stanley Cup, and was arguably just as deserving as Z of the Smythe.

Osgood's 07-08 season was the best goaltending the team has had since Babcock has been here, whether he recognizes it or not. He can be angry with Ozzie's recent regular season performance, but indirectly calling him out in the media for his current performance by underrating his past performance is a new low.

After this comment, I doubt we see Osgood the rest of the season unless Howie is injured or gives up 3 goals in the first 2 minutes of a game; and even on the second one I think Babs probably keeps Jimmy in, as he did with the multiple games in a short period where Howie was giving up 2 quick ones right away.

[RedWingedKitten]

[font="Book Antiqua"]Babcock is more taking a shot at Osgood than he is praising Howard.

Osgood's 07-08 season was the best goaltending the team has had since Babcock has been here, whether he recognizes it or not. He can be angry with Ozzie's recent regular season performance, but indirectly calling him out in the media for his current performance by underrating his past performance is a new low.

In my opinion if the 2010 Howard started for us in 2008 he would have put up better numbers.

Not s shot at Ozzy at all.

My two cents.

[hooon]

Howard gives up waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many rebounds. There I said it.


Can't say I totally agree with Babs there, but like others have stated, I don't think he put nearly as much stock in that comment than people are taking from it. Just praising his goalie is all.

[Finnish Wing]

Maybe it's because we've had all these injuries and staff. We are relied on goaltending more in this season. Maybe Hasek/Osgood would've won us games like Howard has in the regular season, but they just didn't have to because the team was playing so well.

[GoWings1905]

The best and most consistent regular season goalie? Yes.

Exactly. That was the first thought that popped into my mind as well.

I don't know why Babcock even needs to make a comment like this. Clearly, Jimmy is playing well enough and his confidence is fine after 21 straight starts. I'm not taking anything away from Jimmy and what he has done -- I just don't quite understand what the point is behind Babcock stating something like that, under than to take a subtle shot at Ozzie.

Ozzie was the BEST goalie in the NHL in the past two playoff runs. It's a completely different environment, one that Jimmy has yet to experience. When Jimmy can duplicate or come close to matching what Ozzie did in the playoffs, I'm not calling it the best goaltending in the Babcock era.

Edited by GoWings1905, 28 March 2010 - 02:18 PM.

[Broken 16]

Howard gives up waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many rebounds. There I said it.

You people really need to let go of this. A) Rebounds are a silly stat. B) Howard has improved leaps and bounds and still continues to improve on it. Let it go already.

[Doc Holliday]

Can't Howard be complimented without any other player/goaltender being involved?

Honestly. Enjoy the ride Howard is giving us so far, because we don't know when it's going to end.

And Howard does give up rebounds. Don't ignore it, no matter how well he has been playing.

Edited by Doc Holliday, 28 March 2010 - 02:21 PM.

[Finnish Wing]

The best and most consistent regular season goalie? Yes.

Though he lets in those softies pretty often. But yeah, he does it consistently too.

[Carman]

Can't Howard be complimented without any other player/goaltender being involved?

Honestly. Enjoy the ride Howard is giving us so far, because we don't know when it's going to end.

Exactly. I don't see why people need to A) Bash Osgood, or B) Bash Howard.

Why can't we all just be happy that we have a first year goalie exceeding every expectation, instead of trying to start a goalie war over a random quote.

And rebounds he could improve on, but making the first save is the most important thing a goalie can do. I could careless about rebounds if, at the end of the day, he wins. That's all that matters, rebound control will come with experience.

People are putting too much stock into rebounds, in interviews Lidstrom/Rafalski all are saying that Howard making the first save is all that matters and it's their job to protect the area in front.

Edited by Carman, 28 March 2010 - 02:25 PM.

[Doc Holliday]

Exactly. I don't see why people need to A) Bash Osgood, or B) Bash Howard.

Why can't we all just be happy that we have a first year goalie exceeding every expectation, instead of trying to start a goalie war over a random quote.

Osgood is lazy and he sucks.

Hasek is old and he sucks.

Howard is young and he sucks.

Cheveldae is vintage and he sucks.

Legace is a choker and he sucks.

Joseph can't score for his team and he sucks.

[Shaman464]

My $.02:

I think what we are all missing is that since Babs has come to Detroit never has he had a goalie that has won so many games for the team (not the team winning them for the goalie). While the 07-08 season had some killer netminding, the defense was stronger, and the offense was on a different level. This year the Wings have won games purely due to Howie stepping it up. I was the BIGGEST Howard basher on this site, but, his play has won me over. He has been money most games, whereas in 07-08 there were some games where I was pretty sure Ozzy/Hasek were playing solitaire for most of the game. So I don't think it was a veiled shot at Ozzy, I really do believe this year goaltending has been the best we've had in years.

Edited by Shaman464, 28 March 2010 - 02:31 PM.

[DirtyD]

Can't Howard be complimented without any other player/goaltender being involved?

Honestly. Enjoy the ride Howard is giving us so far, because we don't know when it's going to end.

And Howard does give up rebounds. Don't ignore it, no matter how well he has been playing.

I agree with this 100%

I think what a lot of people are missing is that Babs stated, "as good as we've been" NOT "the best we've been". In my opinion, he is saying that Jimmy right now is playing as good as the Ozzie/Hasek duo of '08, albeit under drastically different circumstances. Those two guys put up ridiculous numbers backstopping a damn-near-unstoppable squad on both sides of the puck. Jimmy has had to play under significantly more duress and has still put up incredible numbers and, more importantly, has been leading us to wins.

This was simply a subtle compliment to our rookie goaltender through the media that is getting way over blown. I don't think that it was in any way a shot to Ozzy, nor do I think Ozzy would construe it as such. I certainly hope (and have no reason to believe otherwise) that Ozzy would be able to admit that what Jimmy has done for us this season has been absolutely outstanding.

[Broken 16]

I heard Babcock compliment Miller not too long ago. That must mean he was slamming all the rest of the wingers, right?