Opinion: Petr Mrazek should be starting Game 1

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I firmly recall Gus playing half of the games last playoffs cause Howard was terrible as usual...

Or because Howard was hurt. Mind you, the one game the Wings won in the series was a Howard shutout.

Edited March 29, 2015 by GoWings1905

[LeftWinger 4,951]

Well, one thing is for sure, if there is a goalie change in the playoffs, it won't be Monster!

Listen, to answer a question from the other thread since this is a better place to discuss it, I don't really care if the Wings win with Jimmy or Petr, just win, but that doesn't mean that its not my belief that Jimmy cannot win the big games. Doesn't mean Petr is the next coming of Hasek, but IMO, he is better than Jimmy and deserves to be the #1 guy, and IMO can and will take this team further into the playoffs...also IMO the next Stanley Cup this team wins, Howard will NOT be the goalie to win it. AND 2 seasons ago, just saying, that a bunch of us called for Petr to be pushing Jimmy out of his starting job within a couple of seasons and now it looks as though it could be happening...IMO this time next season Petr will be solidly the #1 guy. (which makes Jimmy a tradable asset, if he'd waive his NTC.)

[barabbas16 499]

Didn't hear a word about Howard being sick back then. And those goals that he let in were all huge momentum killers and lost us games 2 and 3 before we even got into them.

Then you weren't listening. And the fact that the team only scored one goal combined in games 2 and 3 is completely irrelevant to the fact that Detroit lost those games.

Not saying that Howard was lights out or anything... or that he should be in the net based on his play at present, but your statement/implication that he single-handedly lost those games is a false one.

What percentage of the time do teams win when they score 1 goal? How about when they score zero goals?

Edited March 29, 2015 by barabbas16

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

HA! and I suppose you're the expert who got past Juniors?? What would that have to do with anything?

As if I have to be an expert who got past Juniors to know that this is not good! HA!

Goalies make mistakes. You'll hate Mrazek if he starts for any length of time too. Red Wings fans are the most spoiled in the NHL.

[Jericho613 74]

I'm not gonna jump in on whos better Howard or Mrazek. I will say this, Howard is not good right now, don't know why just is. Could it be Defense not playing good? Fair enough. But nobody can deny that defense doesn't play in shootouts either, those are on Howard. Mrazek should start for now until Howard gets his head right. There is something about Howard though, he will always be good, but not elite. Osgood was the same, good, not elite. It all comes down to defense, and Osgood had that. Wings fans are spoiled. Damn we've only had some of the greatest teams in history, not to mention more legends than any other team play for this organization. How can we not be? I say just let Mrazek have the next few games and see if we get some separation from Boston and Ottawa, by that time Howard should be fine. But if Howard continues his struggles, Mrazek deserves to start in the playoffs, for atleast the experience of playoff hockey. But hey just my opinion.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Jericho613

[roboturner 562]

Goalies make mistakes. You'll hate Mrazek if he starts for any length of time too. Red Wings fans are the most spoiled in the NHL.

Why would I hate Mrazek? Is he going to suddenly lose his swagger and puck-handling abilities? Ok, if BOTH of those things happen AND he plays like Howard has been playing AND we have an up and coming goalie prospect who could give us a better chance at winning games....then I'll 'hate' him. All four of those things have to happen and they have to be happening at the same time.

But hey, what do I know? I'm not an expert who made it past Juniors.

[mackel 679]

....and in 3 months of the same results, we'll find out that Mrazek also sucks* and since Red Wings fans can't ever be happy about who the damned goalie is, some of the same people with want Howard back.....

*= as if any of these goalie "experts" got past Juniors if they even played there OR had a leaky defense like what is currently in front of Howard/Mrazek/Gus/etc/etc/etc.

So apparently to post a valid opinion on a message board we need to provide a CV that includes playing time beyond the junior level.

Someone had best tell Ken Hitchcock he has no business coaching in the NHL then, since he didn't play the game at even so much as the junior level. That Stanley Cup winning, Olympic gold winning coach is such a fake assed poser. Man he never even played junior hockey. What an unqualified bum.

I'm glad to know his opinion would have no standing here on LGW. Phew

And for those who feel posts need "sources" as if they're college essays:

http://www.thescore.com/news/628753

[roboturner 562]

So apparently to post a valid opinion on a message board we need to provide a CV that includes playing time beyond the junior level.

Someone had best tell Ken Hitchcock he has no business coaching in the NHL then, since he didn't play the game at even so much as the junior level. That Stanley Cup winning, Olympic gold winning coach is such a fake assed poser. Man he never even played junior hockey. What an unqualified bum.

I'm glad to know his opinion would have no standing here on LGW. Phew

And for those who feel posts need "sources" as if they're college essays:

http://www.thescore.com/news/628753

And remember, you can't just make it to Juniors, you have to make it past Juniors!! BAHAHA

[Nevermind 363]

And remember, you can't just make it to Juniors, you have to make it past Juniors!! BAHAHA

Give him a break. I'm guessing he suffered through four years of "education" at Ohio State.

[kliq 3,755]

Here is my take, I believe Howard is one of the most underrated goalies in the league. Before his injury, the guy was in the conversation when it came to the Vezina.

With that being said, since he came back from injury something is not right. He isnt the same Howard he was before the injury. Just look at his stats:

Oct.......5-1-2.....1.97.......92.9

Nov.......6-3-2.....2.26.......91.1

Dec.......4-2-3.....1.98......92.6

Jan........1-1-0.....2.50......89.6

Feb........2-1-2....2.81......90.2

Mar........3-4-1.....3.38......88.7

He got injured in January, since then his GAA went from 2.08 to close to 3.

With Jimmy playing the way he is playing, we have to give the job to Mrazek for the moment, but dont count Jimmy out. The guy is good, and as soon as Mrazek has a bad stretch, the same people that turn on Jimmy will turn on him. It has happened to pretty much every Wings goalie since the Dead Wings era.

Edited March 29, 2015 by kliq

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Here is my take, I believe Howard is one of the most underrated goalies in the league. Before his injury, the guy was in the conversation when it came to the Vezina.

With that being said, since he came back from injury something is not right. He isnt the same Howard he was before the injury. Just look at his stats:

Oct.......5-1-2.....1.97.......92.9

Nov.......6-3-2.....2.26.......91.1

Dec.......4-2-3.....1.98......92.6

Jan........1-1-0.....2.50......89.6

Feb........2-1-2....2.81......90.2

Mar........3-4-1.....3.38......88.7

He got injured in January, since then his GAA went from 2.08 to close to 3.

With Jimmy playing the way he is playing, we have to give the job to Mrazek for the moment, but dont count Jimmy out. The guy is good, and as soon as Mrazek has a bad stretch, the same people that turn on Jimmy will turn on him. It has happened to pretty much every Wings goalie since the Dead Wings era.

Totally he is a good goalie and when he is on very good, just not in the class of Price, King H, Quick, Rinne but most goalies aren't so not a big deal. If this team makes the playoffs Howard will need to be better no doubt as will the whole team (not just defense).

Personally I'd feel more confident with Howard or the monster in net (he did play well against Boston last year).

[LeftWinger 4,951]

I don't feel confident in Howard at all! These next games (epsecially Ottawa and Boston) could be the most important games of the season thus far. Do you really feel Jimmy should play in any of them after the last 4-5 debacles? 3 goals on 9 shots? twice? I don't feel like giving Ottawa or Boston a 3 goal cushion and then trying to battle back and win. If Petr wins 2 of the next 3 and solidfies the playoff birth, I would be more than confident starting him in the playoffs...I know the team plays more confident in front of him.

[joesuffP 1,746]

Well Mrazek has pot full of good faith after Jimmy (who was stellar before injury) emptied his bag of tricks and embodies everything that's terrible about this stretch of hockey

[derblaueClaus 1,668]

Totally he is a good goalie and when he is on very good, just not in the class of Price, King H, Quick, Rinne but most goalies aren't so not a big deal. If this team makes the playoffs Howard will need to be better no doubt as will the whole team (not just defense).

Personally I'd feel more confident with Howard or the monster in net (he did play well against Boston last year).

Agreed Frank, he also isn't paid the money of the said elite goaltenders. Jimmy is an well above average (there, I said it) starter. But he is going through a tough stretch so putting Mrazek in net is the right call at the moment.

Of course I would feel more confident with 1st-half- of-the-season Howard, but I'm pretty confident in Mrazek, too. We are not in an all or nothing year like the Rangers, so letting Mrazek play and let him gain experience isn't the worst that ever happened to this teams goaltending.

Edited March 29, 2015 by derblaueClaus

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

Give him a break. I'm guessing he suffered through four years of "education" at Ohio State.

And remember, you can't just make it to Juniors, you have to make it past Juniors!! BAHAHA

I realize you ladies can't handle having an Ohio State fan amongst you (I don't care if you don't like it) - however it is hilarious to watch the cliff-jumping occur yearly no matter WHO the goalie is (Hasek/Osgood/Vernon/CuJo/Legace/Osgood again/Hasek Again)....

The Wings could have Potty Wahhhh in his prime and people on LGW and in this fanbase wouldn't be happy. Just the way it is....

Meanwhile the rest of us will just watch this team continue to oscillate between 3rd and 6th in the East, continually leave its goalies hung out to dry and then watch the cliff-jumpers jump to whichever goalie isn't playing and that particular bandwagon....at least until that goalie isn't up to "their" standards

And enjoy the whupping UFM and Ohio State puts on scUM again this year! Haha!

Oh noes!! Mrazek gave up 3 goals to the Isles! OMG! Who is the ECHL goalie?!?!?! He's gotta be better!!! :scared:

Edited March 29, 2015 by BuckeyeWingsfan80

[roboturner 562]

I don't give a s*** where you went to school. I just think it's idiotic to suggest that fans have to have played past Juniors to 'know' the game.

Oh noes!! Mrazek gave up 3 goals to the Isles! OMG! Who is the ECHL goalie?!?!?! He's gotta be better!!! :scared:

And that's really not how that works. I'm sure you wish everybody thought like that so you could feel superior to them, but you're just not that special.

[LeftWinger 4,951]

Ya, its not like GM's go to Gm school to learn the game of hockey, or that they ALL played pro hockey either. Ken Holland has a greate business mind, and through his years of watching and learning the game from a kid and into his 1 pro game, he has become one of the GM's is all of sports.

Just because we are fans, doesn't mean we don't "know" hockey or even "know" hockey talent. Sure we all can't be GM's, but given the chance to learn the business aspect of the position, and with the amount of hockey knowledge that does grace our forum from a lot of our users, I bet someone on here could become a very competitive GM in the hockey world.

[themcityblues 249]

I realize you ladies can't handle having an Ohio State fan amongst you (I don't care if you don't like it) - however it is hilarious to watch the cliff-jumping occur yearly no matter WHO the goalie is (Hasek/Osgood/Vernon/CuJo/Legace/Osgood again/Hasek Again)....

The Wings could have Potty Wahhhh in his prime and people on LGW and in this fanbase wouldn't be happy. Just the way it is....

Meanwhile the rest of us will just watch this team continue to oscillate between 3rd and 6th in the East, continually leave its goalies hung out to dry and then watch the cliff-jumpers jump to whichever goalie isn't playing and that particular bandwagon....at least until that goalie isn't up to "their" standards

And enjoy the whupping UFM and Ohio State puts on scUM again this year! Haha!

Oh noes!! Mrazek gave up 3 goals to the Isles! OMG! Who is the ECHL goalie?!?!?! He's gotta be better!!! :scared:

awesome troll well trolled 10/10

[number9 3,297]

Mrazek sucks, thank god we had Howard to bail him out.

[LeftWinger 4,951]

Mrazek sucks, thank god we had Howard to bail him out.

Again, technically, Howard DID give up the GWG to the Isles.... just saying...he could have made that big save when we needed it!

Edited March 30, 2015 by LeftWinger

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Again, technically, Howard DID give up the GWG to the Isles.... just saying...he could have made that big save when we needed it!

Or Mrazek could have made any save before it reached that point.

[number9 3,297]

Again, techically, Howard gave up the GWG to the Isles.... just saying...

Technically, Mrazek gave up 4 goals, Jimmy only gave up 1... just saying...

[DatsyukianDekes 2,428]

Again, technically, Howard DID give up the GWG to the Isles.... just saying...he could have made that big save when we needed it!

Your reaching for excuses now.

[LeftWinger 4,951]

Or Mrazek could have made any save before it reached that point.

Absolutely! I agree that Mrazek was hot garbage today, but in staying with my dislike or Jimmy, I had to blame him somehow!

But, blaming Jimmy for giving up that GWG is much like giving credit to all Franzen's GWG when he scored the 5th goal in a 5-1 lead only to win the game 5-4...

Like I said in the GDT, I can man up and call Petr out when he plays bad too, buy IMO I still believe Petr is better than Jimmy and will have his job....but he does need to become more consistant!

[Jericho613 74]

I don't understand why people are Howard sucks, Mrazek sucks. God they both play for the Red Wings. Something is not right with Howard and Mrazek can't seem to grab the starting job. Defense played a great Lightning team and shut them down. And yet today our special teams let us down. There is so much weirdness going on right now its crazy. Babcock is stuck in his ways, same D pairings game after game. Maybe March just has been a cursed month, who knows, only a few days left in March thank god. If Boston catches us in the standings then maybe some kind of fire will be lit under their butts. I still believe that when playoffs are close and the Wings need points they have that switch they turn on and until they miss the playoffs i'm gonna believe they make it. At this point it might be in a wild card spot, but I think they make it in the 3rd seed.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Jericho613