I've got something pretty cool going on today, so I wasn't going to write about the game. However, I've decided to say a little something about Chris Osgood today.

I'm not going to pin yesterday's loss on him. However, that doesn't mean I can't say he didn't play well. Questionable goals, couple Howard-esque rebounds. Was he supposed to get a shutout? No, he was rusty. But to act like this is the best game a rusty goaltender has ever played is just stupid. It's not an excuse. He is a professional athlete. It's his job to be ready when he's on. It is not his job to whine about not getting an opportunity, lose, and then say "I toldya so" instead of owning up to a poor game. You know who owned up to a poor game? Todd Bertuzzi. Stupid penalty. He knew it. He played well other than that, but that's all certain folk will remember. Which is completely forgivable, because Bert has taken some untimely penalties. But it's funny the same people who have no trouble reminding you that hockey is a "team game" and this is a "team loss" are perfectly comfortable blaming Bert and not Ozzie.

What I'm a little fed up with is the guy's attitude. We've got a hot shot rookie goaltender, and a savvy veteran. Which one is more likely to be whining to the media? Osgood has a good point -- Jimmy Howard went a month without starting too. He didn't say a word about it. He made the most of his opportunities when he came in cold. A true professional.

What is he accomplishing with all this? Everyone's said all season what a good mentor he is by Howard. Sure Jimmy -- take some advice here. Pout when things don't go your way and bring up all the things you've accomplished. Publicly criticize your coach at will. And oh, don't feel awkward at all that mommy and daddy are fighting over you. Just keep playing top notch hockey and act like nothing's going on at all.

These comments are absurd though. What exactly is he saying here?

"I've gotten him a lot of points, you can write that," Osgood said. "I got him to the Stanley Cup Finals the last two years, you can write that, too."

Osgood is apparently now a one man team. He has no competent defenders in front of him, and he won every game 1-0. He didn't score, but he assisted on every goal. He deserves full credit for the Red Wings 31 playoff wins in the past two years.

"At the start of the year, Howie didn't play for a month and now I haven't played for a month," Osgood said. "To me, that's not a good way of doing things, to let one guy get stagnant. You've got to have both guys going, especially with the amount of games we're going to have."

Osgood is apparently an NHL head coach. He's also not concerned about making the playoffs. If Howard weren't stealing games every week, this would be valid. Howard's had several 30-40, and one 51, shot games, and he's been able to handle it. Osgood had 23 shots, and he let in his usual three goals. That's unacceptable. The first goal wasn't his fault, the second was weak, and the third was equally weak and flukey. It's not his fault they lost. But in my mind he's done absolutely nothing to earn another start in the next few weeks.

"It's frustrating not to play for that length of time," he said. "I would have liked to play prior to (Tuesday's game)."

You and 29 other backup goalies, Chris. But the starter, and the team, are trying to make the playoffs. You're 7-7-4, letting up three goals on 25 shots almost every night. I can't believe the Wings wouldn't play this all-star.

"When I've played, I've played good,"

7-7-4 disagrees with you, but I do believe he's better than last season's regular season Osgood. By the same logic, when Howard's played he's played excellent.

"I hadn't played in 12 games. That's not my decision."

Good -- finally a valid point.

"I can't do anything about that. I don't even think too much about that stuff any more."

Really? Really? Because it sure sounds like you're thinking about it, and it sounds like your trashing your coach every week.

"Do I want to be sitting out for 12 games? No. That's way too long."

Again, apparently this is Chris's decision.

"I will be ready for the playoffs."

I hope so. Detroit needs someone to open the door and hold the clipboard.. Plus I've heard Osgood's handwriting is much neater than Howard's.

Let it be known that I was a huge Osgood fan. I'm not one of those people who believe that the Wings won the Cup in spite of him. I am a Jimmy supporter too. But right now I'm a Red Wings fan who wants to make the playoffs. If Osgood's going to shut up and play some puck, then I'm all for him starting. He just cannot keep defying his head coach publicly, and then no doing a thing to back up his talk. This was not his first opportunity. He had the chance in the Islanders game too. Detroit was trash in front of him and had absolutely no chance of winning. But Howard got pulled, all Osgood needed to do was stop the bleeding. And what happens? Howard comes out of the game looking like the better goaltender.

What Babcock was doing was absolutely fine. What else could he do? This is two straight years Osgood refuses to deliver in the regular season. And this team isn't talented enough to give up 20 shots a night and have to worry about giving up 3-4 goals. You can't just keep giving him starts when he's proving over and over again that he's the second best goaltender in this organization. Detroit does not owe Osgood a thing. They have him the chance to salvage his career, and he did. Spectacularly. They're by no means bound to keep starting him because of that. Babcock's only "mistake" was finding a quality starting netminder that is giving him a chance to win every night, and stealing a few games. He's not the only coach to ever have a clear starter. Detroit's priorities are, as they should be:

1. Making the playoffs.
2. Finding a playoff starter.

There wasn't a goaltending controversy. Now there is, because of Osgood. Funny that the same people who give such heat to unnamed prospects with attitude problems are coming to the defense of a goaltender with an attitude problem. Playing time is earned, I was always told, over and over and over. Howard is earning starts on the ice. Osgood is not. Osgood is trying to earn starts off the ice -- and it's not working. Good.

My point is that if you're going to talk absolute garbage for two weeks leading up to the start, you better deliver. Osgood flat out did not, and there's no argument against that. Howard has been absolutely sensational lately and finally looked human against Chicago. Not bad, but just human. Detroit kept the best player in the league to zero shots for the first time all season and had a lead in the 3rd period. That's the time your looking for your goaltender to step up and seal up the W. That's what Jimmy's been doing this season. That's what Osgood didn't do yesterday.

I'm now officially flipping. I wanted Howard to start until Detroit was comfortable in the playoffs, then I wanted to give Osgood a chance to round into form. How is that fair? It looks like the more Detroit tries to start Osgood, the longer they're going to need Howard to get them into the playoffs. Just give Howard the reigns right now and see what happens. I didn't even think he'd be able to play this good. He never showed any of this in Grand Rapids (in front of a star-studded defense that regularly featured some of the worst defensive defensmen in the history of the AHL). You can say "well let's wait for the other shoe to fall" as much as you want, but the bottom line is this: that shoe hasn't fallen yet. If you're so confident in delicate little Osgood, why not give Howard every chance and challenge along the way? When he fails, you can just say "I told you so." I'm just thinking more and more that he's going to hold up, and I think some people are feeling the same but are a little afraid to admit that.

If Osgood decides at any point that he'd like to be an NHL goalie and a rational decent person, re-consider if he can put a few games together. It is just not fair to take that chance away from Howard, when Osgood has done absolutely nothing to earn that position this season.

Act like you've been there before.

FREE JIMMY.

Comments (14)

Name

Website

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Add Comment