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Dynheart

Osgood

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The goalies I mentioned in my post are/were every bit as good as Osgood... unfortunately for them they weren't playing on the Wings...

Osgood is the Bic lighter of goaltenders... useful, but easily replaced.

No they aren't.

Dan Cloutier is the cherry on top of one of the worst comparitive lists I've seen on these boards.

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Without a doubt, Roy and Belfour are the greatest goalies of their generation, with Hasek, Osgood and Belfour being worthy of elite status.

I'd put Belfour and Osgood at about the same level. Granted, Belfour has more individual awards (Calder, 2 Vezinas) and played longer resulting in more career wins, but the percentages actually favor Osgood:

Belfour, 484 wins / 963 GP = 50.2% win percentage (regular season)

88 wins / 161 GP = 54.6% win percentage (playoffs)

Osgood, 396 wins / 7733 GP = 54.0% win percentage (regular season)

74 wins / 129 GP = 57.9% win percentage (playoffs)

Their GAA and save pct. are very similar:

Belfour, 2.50 GAA, .906 save pct, 76 shutouts (regular season)

2.17 GAA, .920 save pct, 14 shutouts (playoffs)

Osgood, 2.49 GAA, .905 save pct, 50 shutouts (regular season)

2.09 GAA, .916 save pct, 15 shutouts (playoffs)

Ultimately, I feel both should go into the hall, and if Osgood can get enough playing time to break 400 wins and we win the Cup, whether he is the starter or not I think that will seal the deal for him.

You'll be hard pressed to find people outside of Detroit who put Osgood on a similar level as Belfour and do not think Osgood had some significant help in piling up wins.

Vernon and even Cujo are arguable ahead of Osgood as well - as well as Vachon and Barrasso who are unquestionably ahead of him.

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You'll be hard pressed to find people outside of Detroit who put Osgood on a similar level as Belfour and do not think Osgood had some significant help in piling up wins.

That is a perception, but the numbers don't lie. He may not be a once-in-a-generation talent, but you don't win 400 games in the NHL just because you have a good team in front of you, you have to at least be better than most of the other goalies you are going up against on any given night, and if you remove the anti-Detroit bias, Osgood has been that for most of his career.

Vernon and even Cujo are arguable ahead of Osgood as well - as well as Vachon and Barrasso who are unquestionably ahead of him.

Vachon was a full generation before Osgood, and it could be argued that Vernon and Barrasso are as well, their primes were before Osgood's. Cujo, I'll grant you that one, but in my mind no Cup = no HHoF for goalies.

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That is a perception, but the numbers don't lie. He may not be a once-in-a-generation talent, but you don't win 400 games in the NHL just because you have a good team in front of you, you have to at least be better than most of the other goalies you are going up against on any given night, and if you remove the anti-Detroit bias, Osgood has been that for most of his career.

It's the overwhelming perception. It's also why few outside Devils' fans believe Brodeur is the greatest goalie of all-time, despite him holding the wins record. Most have a general understanding that the other 20 players on the team have more than a bit to do with wins.

Vachon was a full generation before Osgood, and it could be argued that Vernon and Barrasso are as well, their primes were before Osgood's. Cujo, I'll grant you that one, but in my mind no Cup = no HHoF for goalies.

I brought them up because they are still not in -- Osgood has a LOT of waiting to do, if he ever does get in.

To take it to an extreme example -- Would you really be against Hasek for the Hall of Fame if he had never been able to come to Detroit and get his sole Cup win as a starter?

He had 6 Vezinas, 2 Harts and no Cup before that.

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