Howard Becomes Yet Another Different Wings Playoff Starter

[clutchngrab 12]

i'm not saying that jimmy won't be a part of our run if it goes deep this year...but i think you're putting the cart before the horse to put howard on par with bryz and loo in terms of playoff goaltending. regular season and playoffs can be totally different things: we've seen the inverse with osgood the past two seasons, with regular seasons ranging from mediocre to terrible, followed by amazing playoffs. howard is untested, and even a very good or very bad playoff will not solidify his worth as a playoff goalie -- it could be a fluke either way, or, either way, it might be totally indicative of his future potential. there's just no way to know right now.

I don't want to turn this into an Osgood debate, but in my opinion Osgood played well but did not dominate. I don't buy that a horrible regular season goaltender turned into a "great" playoff goaltender. I think he finally got his head out of his ass and played on par with the adequate goaltending the OP postulated.

As far as Howard goes, I have this theory about hot goaltenders. Generally, on any given year you can pretty clearly pick the best 1/2 dozen or so goaltenders in the league. Those 6 or so can be vets or younger guys, but are clearly positive factors on any given night. Usually, those goaltenders keep that level of play going into the playoffs. (Nevermind that they may tank the next year). Anyhow Jimmy is in the elite this year, and is playing with confidence right now. In front of the red wings, I think that could mean a lot.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Unfortunately, rookie goalies just don't win Cups. You can count on one hand the number of goalies in the modern era that pop their playoff cherry and win the Cup in the same year, and they're Hall of Famers. (Which, if Jimmy turns out to be, great, but unlikely.)

[mtuhockey7 23]

Teh Jimmy will be here for a while I'm thinking (provided he can keep up playing anywhere close to this year).

Had the Wings played Ozzie and/or a free agent backup and left teh Jimmy in GR this year, I have a feeling they

would be out at Oakland Hills teeing em up this morning.

[Opie 308]

no offense to Carman and Mindfly, but their posts are nothing close to Sir Drake classics. The man was to Cheli posts what BlueAdams is to line posts!

Pure hilarity!

[Opie 308]

Unfortunately, rookie goalies just don't win Cups. You can count on one hand the number of goalies in the modern era that pop their playoff cherry and win the Cup in the same year, and they're Hall of Famers. (Which, if Jimmy turns out to be, great, but unlikely.)

They are all HOFers?

Are you sure, Cam Ward is going to the Hall, Really? Or is it the fact that so few rookie netminders ever actually get a shot at the cup. A hot goalie is a hot goalie, until cooled off. Scoring may become much more difficult in the post season, but goaltending it self is pretty much the same beast (says some one who can not even imagine what playing in the NHL would be like).

I know the last rook to win it before Ward was Roy, but my question would be how many rookies actually make it to the SCF?

I have as much confidence in J-ho as I would in any of the following:

Nabakov (2nd round and beyond, please.)

Luongo (Last year's melt down has me nervous of him this year)

Bryzgalov (Played behind a very very good ducks team that this Yotes team does not compare to.)

-Quick (just as young, has never looked as good a Howard has)

Huet/Neimi (One is a sieve one is untested)

-Anderson (unproven)

-Rinne (unproven)

-Howard (unproven Calder candidate and potential Vezina talk.)

To me the only real netminders more proven than him this year in the west are Nabby and Lou, who have had history of either the team of them falling apart in front of them, or themselves falling apart.

- to me means these four are about as even as you can be going into the post season.

[betterREDthandead 58]

They are all HOFers?

I know the last rook to win it before Ward was Roy, but my question would be how many rookies actually make it to the SCF?

Uh, exactly.