Osgood to start Sunday

[ben_usmc 253]

good about time Ozzy gets some games under him, show the rest of the league that IF Howard falters then Ozzy will be there to have his back.

[13dangledangle 958]

I think this is a good move. Mustang Howie has done an awesome job this past run and looks like hes wearing down. Dont read to much into this however, the job is now Howards to loose.

[Hockeytown_Ryan 119]

IF Howard faulters and falls on his face in the playoffs....( I did Say IF) then Ozzie needs to have gotten in a game or 2 before the reg season ends.. good Idea for Babcock.... Osgood knows we need the points...It will be good for him to get in.

[kook_10 1,705]

APRIL FOOLS!

*oh...s***. I wish I read this before I made my weekend picks. Oh well, he should be well motivated by now.

[dropkickshanahans 463]

Ozzie will get a shutout, you heard it here first. Richards is gonna take the boys clubbing and get plastered, but they'll soon forget the game starts at noon-thirty. They'll be totally unable to get anything going, except for Carcillo. He just looks like he's immune to alcohol.

[brett 1,029]

Well there goes our winning streak.

haha my thoughts exactly!

meh its a good move to see where hes at and our team. hope he does good. epically against struggling philly

Edited April 3, 2010 by brett

[teebo 22]

Why play him against a highpowered flyers team? They figure their goalie situation is so bad so detroit will score alot of goals and they are in the eastern conference so it doesnt matter as much if they miss out the points?

high powered? wow you obviously dont follow other teams in the nhl..

btw, leino is part of their top line

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Well there goes our winning streak.

How do you know? The game hasn't even been played yet.

Anyways, not shocked that this has happened. Howard basically did nothing to suggest he should be taken out for a few games while the Wings were fighting tooth and nail for points and a playoff spot. He's young, so I don't see much signs of wearing out or whatever. And it has very little to do IMO with Osgood and moreso with Howard playing so well. Now that a playoff spot is getting closer to being wrapped up, it's time to "experiment" more or less and give Osgood a few games.

I would've been fine if Babcock continued to ride Howard even more given that he's not worn out and I'm part of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" camp, but if Osgood was going to play, 1 of these back to back games was probably going to be it.

[eva unit zero 271]

I want to see Ozzie play four of the five remaining games, winning all in impressive fashion.

I don't care which games they are, but I understand the Howie vs Nashville/Ozzie vs Philly decision.

I would also like to see Chicago lose their next four games, while Detroit wins their next four. This would make the final game of the season for the Central division, Detroit at Chicago on April 11th, the division championship game.

[VM1138 1,921]

I think this will work out well. I hear Ozzie has been doing better in practice, the Wings are rejuvenated and playing well. Ozzie won't get hung out to dry, and if he has a good game a lot of that rust and shaken confidence can be fixed hopefully.

[ceebs 2]

High powered?

VILLE LEINO!!

[clutchngrab 12]

Could you google and photo-shop slapies take a break? Thanks.

[clutchngrab 12]

This is just to keep Howard from getting injured - nothing more nothing less. Why expose you starting goalie when you don't need to?

[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

Perfect time to play him to be realistic. I mean for god sakes Brian Boucher is in net for the Flyers. What is he their #3 goalie? Should still come away with a win.

[Winged_Wheeler 3]

I'm not going to doubt Osgood on this one, if he has a bad game, he has a bad game. I'm not going to be too hard him given the fact this is the first time he's going to be playing in a non-practice environment in forever.

Prove all the haters wrong Ozzie!

[Hiei 192]

It's Osgood vs Boucher/Caron/Duchesne...You thought the Revolving Goal of Detroit was bad....This is abso-fricken-HORRIBLE in Philly.

[mackel 679]

I'd love to see Osgood get torched in this game... so we can finally stop seeing posts from the few remaining fools who think he should be starting in the playoffs.

Edited April 3, 2010 by mackel

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

I'd love to see Osgood get torched in this game... so we can finally stop seeing posts from the few remaining fools who think he should be starting in the playoffs.

The true fan: hoping his team's goaltender gets torched simply so he can rub it in other people's faces.

I wish I had your dedication.

Clutch: Hey, how about your mom?

Edited April 3, 2010 by Doc Holliday

[mackel 679]

The true fan: hoping his team's goaltender gets torched simply so he can rub it in other people's faces.

I wish I had your dedication.

Clutch: Hey, how about your mom?

I'm a Red Wing fan not an Osgood fan... he can get torched and we can still win no? I believe whatever hole Osgood digs us into Howard can get us out of...

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

I'm a Red Wing fan not an Osgood fan... he can get torched and we can still win no? I believe whatever hole Osgood digs us into Howard can get us out of...

And being a Red Wing fan you should hope for the best possible scenarios, involving all its players. Osgood getting torched doesn't bode well for the Wings in any situation.

Like I said, you are hoping for a specific player to falter because you want the satisfaction of seeing those who believe he still can hack it as a goaltender in the NHL to be "proven wrong". By one game. One game where the goaltender in question hasn't played consistently since 2009. Your hope is not only completely unbecoming of a true fan but is also ridiculously stupid in logic. You really think Osgood's mettle as a goaltender will be proven by this game when he has been riding the bench for months? Really?

Edited April 3, 2010 by Doc Holliday

[Zeowingsfan 16]

The true fan: hoping his team's goaltender gets torched simply so he can rub it in other people's faces.

I wish I had your dedication.

I don`t remember him being here during the playoffs, obviously his internet must of stopped working.

Also it`s good to see Osgood get the start, he needs to play a few games to at least have the rust gone if something happens that forces him to be our number one goalie again. Besides you would have to be crazy to think that Howard is not our starter for the playoffs and I hope his level of play keeps improving, but we need to have both goalies warm for the start of the playoffs to be as insurance. It's better to be safe in this case.

Edited April 3, 2010 by Zeowingsfan

[mackel 679]

And being a Red Wing fan you should hope for the best possible scenarios, involving all its players. Osgood getting torched doesn't bode well for the Wings in any situation.

Like I said, you are hoping for a specific player to falter because you want the satisfaction of seeing those who believe he still can hack it as a goaltender in the NHL to be "proven wrong". By one game. One game where the goaltender in question hasn't played consistently since 2009. Your hope is not only completely unbecoming of a true fan but is also ridiculously stupid in logic. You really think Osgood's mettle as a goaltender will be proven by this game when he has been riding the bench for months? Really?

Don't lecture me about being a true fan. I'm a fan of this team and have been for nearly 20 years. I hope the team wins but I hope Osgood fails. Being a fan doesn't mean you blindly accept or love every player in an organization or decision an organization makes. Your definition of fandom exists in two places your mind and the hearts of Leaf fans.

I don`t remember him being here during the playoffs, obviously his internet must of stopped working.

Also it`s good to see Osgood get the start, he needs to play a few games to at least have the rust gone if something happens that forces him to be our number one goalie again. Besides you would have to be crazy to think that Howard is not our starter for the playoffs and I hope his level of play keeps improving, but we need to have both goalies warm for the start of the playoffs to be as insurance. It's better to be safe in this case.

I was here... reading you prattling nits assure everyone how Osgood was the reason for the season. Truth is he had a run of games where he wasn't the overwhelming reason we won or lost, which is the best that overblown 2nd stringer has ever been able to in his career.

Also good to see another Islander on here. Despite or differences in opinion.

Edited April 3, 2010 by mackel

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

Don't lecture me about being a true fan. I'm a fan of this team and have been for nearly 20 years. I hope the team wins but I hope Osgood fails. Being a fan doesn't mean you blindly accept or love every player in an organization or decision an organization makes. Your definition of fandom exists in two places your mind and the hearts of Leaf fans.

There is a difference between blindly loving and blindly hating a player. You are doing the latter.

I was here... reading you prattling nits assure everyone how Osgood was the reason for the season. Truth is he had a run of games where he wasn't the overwhelming reason we won or lost, which is the best that overblown 2nd stringer has ever been able to in his career.

The latter, my good sir.

[mackel 679]

There is a difference between blindly loving and blindly hating a player. You are doing the latter.

The latter, my good sir.

His career would read like that of Patrick Lalime, Chris Huet, or Dan Cloutier without having played on powerhouse Wings teams.

[Zeowingsfan 16]

His career would read like that of Patrick Lalime, Chris Huet, or Dan Cloutier without having played on powerhouse Wings teams.

Except the years he played with the Islanders and Blues, they were not powerhouse teams and he still helped them to the playoffs. Osgood got the job done in those years and he helped us to the playoffs in 97 by playing most of the games, and won as a starter in 98. He's never going to be remembered outside of Detroit, but he played great during the 2008 cup run and in last years playoffs he would have been right up there to get the Conn Smythe had we won. Which would have been amazing to see after a bad regular season.

Also if there is only one reason why I believe Howard will not falter mentally in the playoffs and why he will not have a horrible sophomore season like many second year players do is because Osgood is mentoring him. Do I think Osgood will take the starting job back from him, no I don't and I am an Osgood fan. Really I just want him to hit 400+ wins and retire as a Wing with his name on the cup again. Next season I hope Osgood can get more games and play like he is truly able to and force Jimmy to be even better then he is this year to keep the starting job.

Like I said in my last post it's good to see him play again and I hope he has a good game and gets the win to help the team get farther up in the standings, and removing the rust from him is more to have both goalies warm as insurance.

All things aside, the playoffs are a different beast and I wouldn't be surprised if the team we play in the first round starts taking runs at Howard so it's best for Babcock to be prepared if something happens to him. Osgood getting games now is more about letting Howard have a few nights off for well deserved rest before the playoffs and getting Osgood ready if he has to be called upon.

Edited April 3, 2010 by Zeowingsfan