Put Ozzy in.

[Jasper84 333]

Howard has played great for us. He let in a few softies against the 'Yotes, but he redeemed himself. He answered all the whining from people after game 3 by getting a shut out in game 4. If it wasn't for Jovo trying to get into Howie's pads in game 5, he gets a shut out there too. Game 7, fluke goal right off the face off, if it wasn't for that he picks up his 3rd shut out in a 7 game series. Tonight's game, the majority of SJ's goals were due to ticky-tack calls, including a 5 on 3, and then the game winner on a play where Lids has to drop his broken stick, and unable to help Howie. I see absolutely no need to pull him for a cold/rusty Osgood.

Lets face it, after the season the Wings had, we should all be glad that they are even in the WCSF. Maybe he has played like crap like you think he has, and I just don't see it because I'm a big Howie fan, he still stays in net. This is the year where whether he play good or bad, he gets the first post season under his belt. So this thread about pulling Howie for Osgood, is just as ridiculous now, as it was during the first series. And I guarantee that there will be someone here who makes the same exact thread when we play the Nucks/Hawks next round. That's right, we WILL play them, with HOWIE in net.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Jasper84

[Electrophile 3,554]

Oh sure, let's put Ozzie in. Sounds like just the thing we need to right this ship. While we're at it, why don't we go throw some dynamite on a bonfire too, just for s***s and giggles. Not like anything bad is going to happen there either!

[Resetti 44]

If Howard is the goaltender of the future for this franchise, you don't hide him on the bench when the going gets rough. He doesn't have experience but how is he going to learn sitting when the chips are down? No, you leave him in. He has been playing well for the Red Wings all year. He has been having a solid postseason so far too. He's a rookie goalie and rookie goalies rarely backstop a team to a championship, I think expecting him to do that is a little much, but you definitely don't yank him if he's the guy Detroit will be counting on for the next decade or so. He gives the Red Wings the best chance to win now, and later. Whatever Detroit's playoff destiny is this year, the experience will make him a better player.

[Zetts 236]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAB9hFDoQiI

[Trapt1307 81]

You crazy.

[Guest mjtm77]

why did you make this thread if ozzie plays we will loose for sure

[55fan 5,133]

I'm a huge Ozzie fan, but the only place I want him on the ice is if we can put him in the black-and-white-striped shirts. That's the reason we lost tonight.

[miller76 463]

I voted no.

I was going to write more, but I forgot what I was going to say. I am pretty trashed right now.

But yeah the answer is no.

[Homerzata9640 0]

oh yeah, lets put in a goalie who has played in TWO whole games since the start of 2010. Yep, that will fix everything! Ozzie can take draws and win them right?

[puffy 97]

Off the Florida Keys

There's a place called Kokomo

That's where you wanna go to get away from it all

[Travis 576]

Howard actually broke Lidstrom's stick and is obviously the reason we lost.

Get a grip.

[chuklz 15]

Why can Ozzy dive more dramatically and draw calls like Nabby does?

[Zeowingsfan 16]

I love how someone will always blame the goalie for any loss.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Zeowingsfan

[KrazyGangsta 79]

Ozzy or Howard, if our defense doesn't step up it won't matter.

For the love of god win some f/o's please.

[Guest mjtm77]

this is stupid we would loose in four

[gcom007 1,465]

Howard is the reason that this game was not a blowout.

Osgood, playing behind a totally stacked team as he was the last two seasons, never had to deal with the sort of barrages Howard has been weathering so far in these playoffs.

While this is irrelevant to the topic, your assessment of Osgood's challenges the last few years, especially last year, is way off. That stacked team last year had countless injuries and were a defensive nightmare. How on earth do people so easily forget that Osgood was essentially a shoo-in for the Conn Smythe last year for this reason alone? We had every reason to go down early if not for the excellent play of Osgood. And remember in 2008 against the Pens? 2 shut outs to open the series and take a 2-0 lead against Bettman's fake-son's team!? Give me a break. Osgood was nothing short of outstanding any way you shake it the last two years.

That said, and I'm not saying Howard has been horrible, he hasn't played very well either. He's had really solid moments, but far too many piss-poor moments as well and he has lacked the ability to make key saves at the right time now in 6 of 9 playoff games. He's not losing the games for us in a Legace-esque fashion, but he's certainly not doing much to help matters either. He's got to do more to keep us in the game in the first or it doesn't matter how well he plays in the 2nd or 3rd. Phoenix was a terrible offensive team and now we're facing a team that's actually got some firepower. He's got to be stronger early on in these games, whether the defense is helping or not.

It's everyone's fault we're not playing well more often than not in this post-season, and Jimmy Howard absolutely deserves to shoulder as much of the blame for that as the rest of the team. It's a tough lesson to learn, but he's a rookie, and hopefully he is learning that it takes a lot more of "something" to do in the playoffs what seems fairly natural in the regular season. While I'm not letting him off the hook for this post-season, I'm not about to hold it against him either. Again, ROOKIE!!!

[Drake_Marcus 890]

The Wings gave up 45 shots tonight.

You honestly think Ozzie would've let less than 4 in at this point? We can't just assume 2008 or 2009 post-season Ozzy will jump over the boards on Tuesday.

[Guest Crymson]

While this is irrelevant to the topic, your assessment of Osgood's challenges the last few years, especially last year, is way off. That stacked team last year had countless injuries and were a defensive nightmare. How on earth do people so easily forget that Osgood was essentially a shoo-in for the Conn Smythe last year for this reason alone? We had every reason to go down early if not for the excellent play of Osgood. And remember in 2008 against the Pens? 2 shut outs to open the series and take a 2-0 lead against Bettman's fake-son's team!? Give me a break. Osgood was nothing short of outstanding any way you shake it the last two years.

That said, and I'm not saying Howard has been horrible, he hasn't played very well either. He's had really solid moments, but far too many piss-poor moments as well and he has lacked the ability to make key saves at the right time now in 6 of 9 playoff games. He's not losing the games for us in a Legace-esque fashion, but he's certainly not doing much to help matters either. He's got to do more to keep us in the game in the first or it doesn't matter how well he plays in the 2nd or 3rd. Phoenix was a terrible offensive team and now we're facing a team that's actually got some firepower. He's got to be stronger early on in these games, whether the defense is helping or not.

It's everyone's fault we're not playing well more often than not in this post-season, and Jimmy Howard absolutely deserves to shoulder as much of the blame for that as the rest of the team. It's a tough lesson to learn, but he's a rookie, and hopefully he is learning that it takes a lot more of "something" to do in the playoffs what seems fairly natural in the regular season. While I'm not letting him off the hook for this post-season, I'm not about to hold it against him either. Again, ROOKIE!!!

Do you remember game five between the Wings and the Blackhawks? It was considered by many to be the goaltending duel of the playoffs, and I believe it was the game in which Osgood faced the most shots (aside from the 3OT game against Anaheim, in which Anaheim really didn't have a ton of quality scoring chances; I remember this because I was there). The Blackhawks had only 31 shots on goal in that game compared to the 45 Howard saw tonight, and Osgood had far more help last postseason than Jimmy does now.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I don't know what they're expecting the goalie to do with the 5 on 3s and odd man rushes and all manner of nonsense he's being made to deal with.

The worst part is his teammates don't share much of the blame either. These first two games have been dumb as hell.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I don't know what they're expecting the goalie to do with the 5 on 3s and odd man rushes and all manner of nonsense he's being made to deal with.

The worst part is his teammates don't share much of the blame either. These first two games have been dumb as hell.

That's why I'm glad it's only 2-0. The Penguins taught us last year that a 2-0 lead means nothing.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

I voted "No" just in case we do lose this series no one can blame it on Ozzie.

[bdavis 28]

Wow.... Howard makes 40+ saves, so lets put Ozzie in. What a great idea. Let's put an ice cold goalie in, that didn't even win 10 games this regular season, for a goaltender that makes 40+ saves in a playoff game. Watch the highlights, you'll notice that Howie made some incredible saves that kept the Wings in the game. I think you should be bitching about the 10 penalties, which is what cost the game.

[Zeowingsfan 16]

I voted "No" just in case we do lose this series no one can blame it on Ozzie.

If we lose this series with Howard in net I can completely see someone making a "We would have won with Osgood" thread. If we switch to Ozzie (very big if) and lose, I can see the "We would have won with Howard" thread. So yeah someone will blame the goalie regardless of how well they play. Hell they could stop 99 out of 100 in a game with only the perfect goal going past them, but hey someone will blame the goalie.

Edit: grammar

Edited May 3, 2010 by Zeowingsfan

[BamaWing 37]

Some people need to watch the game and realize that Howard was far and away our last problem on the ice. Stupid ass thread

[Osgood the Best 2]

As much of an Ozzie fan as I am, I have to agree. The officiating and diving is what killed the game tonight, and if it weren't for Howard it would have been way worse. Ozzie can step it up for the playoffs, yes, but has he ever faced that many shots and let in fewer goals? I think not. Any time he faces 30+ shots it's usually 4 goals or so, Howard made some great saves, having said that, he has let some soft goals in this post season, but he is still a great goaltender and he still deserves to be in the pipes.