Osgood back in on Friday

Posted by on . 11 comments

Helene St. James reports that Chris Osgood will start Friday. Good. I think he probably should have started last night in order to get right back in the saddle, but I understand going with Conklin for that one. But Osgood has to get back in it on Friday. They can’t screw around with sitting him at this point.

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  1. Ryan says:
    March 25, 2009 at 9:51 am

    Conklin should have become the starter somewhere the midpoint of the season.  That he still isn't the starter is, at the very least, mystifying.  Osgood must know where the bodies are buried.

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  2. Matt Saler says:
    March 25, 2009 at 11:56 am

    Ryan,

    I get that argument from a numbers standpoint, but I don't buy it from a team policy standpoint. The Wings have to try to get Osgood going because he presents the best goaltending option from an experience and peak ability (read: potential) perspective. Conklin has almost zero of the former and can't match Osgood in the latter. 

    You don't throw away the chance that Osgood will find his game based on his having a down season. You give him a chance when it counts and follow up with Conklin if Plan A doesn't go as hoped. 

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  3. Triple Deke Staff says:
    March 25, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    Oz's inconsistencies have been far more maddening than any slip ups Conk has shown.  That said, Ozzie is a proven multi-Stanley Cup-winning goaltender whose ceiling — when on top of his game — is higher than Conk's, who by the way is a career backup with a grand total of 6 minutes of playoff experience.  The Wings need a confident Ozzie revved up during the final stretch of the season, not a streaky backup finding himself as #1 playoff goalie for the first time in his career.

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  4. John W. says:
    March 25, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    I love Ozzie, but I'm still kinda torn on this one. If he finds his stride, is he the best option? Absolutely. The question is how long do we wait to find out if he will? And if he doesn't, do the Wings have a chance if they don't make that decision until the last week of the season (or later?) and Conklin hasn't played consecutive games in ages? I know it worked out last year, switching mid-round, but I don't know if I wanna try that twice. I don't really buy the argument that Conks has little to no playoff experience so he can't do it, every goalie has to get that first chance somewhere, right? All that said, I really hope Ozzie bounces back on Friday, and plays most, if not all, the rest of the games this regular season and finally gets it going.

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  5. Matt Saler says:
    March 26, 2009 at 5:56 am

    John,

    I don't know how they can do anything but give him a chance up until Game 1 of the playoffs. If he falters, then give Conklin the net. 

    This discussion is why I wish Osgood had started Tuesday. On Sunday, attitudes were going from "Osgood sucks! We're doomed!" to "Osgood's back! We're set!" Now after one game, we're back at square one. That's fandom, I guess. 

    If Osgood starts in Edmonton, maybe the doubts don't return. Here's hoping he throws water on them Friday with a strong outing. 

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  6. John W. says:
    March 26, 2009 at 6:48 am

    Yeah I know, their only option is to put Ozzie out there and hope it works out in the end. As you have mentioned as well, they REALLY need to have him play after the next game he loses, no matter how he looked in the loss, as its imperative they know how he's going to respond, and it also won't give him as much time to think about it. I think one of Ozzies biggest problems is he tends to get in his own head too much, he just needs to do, not think.

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  7. Garth says:
    March 26, 2009 at 7:37 am

    "This discussion is why I wish Osgood had started Tuesday. On Sunday, attitudes were going from “Osgood sucks! We’re doomed!” to “Osgood’s back! We’re set!” Now after one game, we’re back at square one. That’s fandom, I guess. "

    Definitely understandable. You don't want it to appear that anyone has given up on Osgood, and I think that if the next game was Wednesday instead of Tuesday, he would've started. But it just makes good sense to split the duties on back-to-back games if possible.

    And re: making Osgood the starter, I agree that you have to give him the chance in the playoffs. All they're doing this year is the same thing they did last year. I think you owe him the benefit of the doubt based on his playoff performance last year.

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  8. Rick says:
    March 27, 2009 at 5:09 pm

    Of course, Osbad started tonight against the worst team in the NHL (NYI) and lost at home! As usual, Babcock was again outcoached and why owner Mike Illitch is tolerating all this is beyond me. Tonight's loss was a totally inexcuseable and changes need to be made immediately. Both in goal and behind the bench.

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  9. Ron says:
    March 27, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    The fact of the matter is that Osgood is unreliable. Apparently, Babcock still hasn't realized this. Tonight's game vs. the Islanders was a "gimme" and they blew it. Babcock is accountable and (obviously) not a great motivator and certainly a very far cry from Scotty Bowman.

    It is unlikely that Detroit will repeat and win the Stanley Cup. This is fairly obvious. They've taken way too many penalties, too many "odd man rushes", given-up way too many shots and way too many goals against this season. Of course, the goaltending leaves a lot to be desired and their defense is just too suspect. Obviously, GM Holland, with the exception of signing Hossa, could have and should have done more as the current Red Wings are not as good nor as effective as last season's team. It's either that or last season was a fluke. So, let's be realistic.

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  10. Matt Saler says:
    March 27, 2009 at 6:27 pm

    Rick and Ron,

    I'm sorry but to blame this one on Babcock and/or Osgood is to give the skaters a free pass.

    With regard to Babcock, it's as much on the players as it is on him to get motivation, and it's obvious that the players aren't holding up their end of the deal. Tonight's game wasn't as strong an example of that as the 8-0 and 8-2 losses, but this is definitely on the players.

    On the Osgood side, I don't see how this one is his fault. Sure, it'd have been nice if he'd been as perfect as MacDonald (who wasn't quite as good as the shutout indicates, having let 5-7 shots past him only to have them hit the post), but that's how the cookie crumbles, as they say. He was more than good enough for the Wings to win, but the skaters didn't ever demonstrate a killer instinct.

    I didn't think they played too badly. They just didn't take it to that extra level. And let's not forget that the Islanders played a strong game. Their record is atrocious, but to their credit, they're playing with pride and motivation despite being so far back in the standings. Worst team in the league points-wise or not, the Wings could learn a few lessons from them.

    Tonight’s loss was a totally inexcuseable and changes need to be made immediately. Both in goal and behind the bench.

    And what do you think those changes should be? Drop the head coach with seven games left? Yeah, it makes complete sense to fire the man who has brought unparalleled success to this team in a very short time.

    And the goaltending side, let's bring up Jimmy Howard! A goalie who, until this season, wasn't even a top-flight AHL netminder. Or maybe we could use Ty Conklin, who's only ever been a backup.

    The fact is, neither Babcock nor Osgood is going anywhere, and nor should they. This is an issue with the skaters, the players on the ice. Not behind the bench or just in the net.

    Obviously, GM Holland, with the exception of signing Hossa, could have and should have done more as the current Red Wings are not as good nor as effective as last season’s team.

    It's the same group of guys! That's the problem – they've been there, done that, and have trouble finding the motivation to get up for Game #74. Yes, it sucks, but it's also understandable in a way. They've got more important fish to fry.

    It's coming down to the time where the games matter and I worry about their ability to turn it on at the drop of a hat, but put yourself in their skates for a minute.

    I'm not giving up on their chance to repeat yet.

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  11. Freddie says:
    March 28, 2009 at 2:29 am

    IT'S THE COACH'S JOB TO MOTIVATE A TEAM. THAT'S ONE OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE TO LOSE TO AN INEPT TEAM LIKE THE ISLANDERS AND ESPECIALLY TO BE SHUTOUT AT HOME. OSGOOD IS TOTALLY ERRATIC AND HAS BEEN FOR A NUMBER OF SEASONS. AND AS FOR BABCOCK……..HE'S GREAT AT PRAISING THE OTHER TEAM AFTER A LOSS, MAKING EXCUSES AND SIPPING HIS BOTTLED WATER. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE WINGS ARE NOT AS GOOD A HOCKEY TEAM AS THEY WERE LAST SEASON AND THAT FACT THAT THEY HAVE 107 PTS. CAN ONLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO PLAYING THE MAJORITY OF THEIR GAMES AGAINST THE WEST AND NOT THE EAST. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT LAST YEAR BUT I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE MATCH-UPS THROUGHOUT THE PLAYOFFS. BESIDES…….PRODUCTION IS ONLY COMING FROM A HANDFUL OF GUYS AND CERTAINLY NOT MUCH FROM THE 3rd AND 4th LINES LIKES PRIOR YEARS. THE DEFENSE IS SMALL IN SIZE, A BIT SLOWER, LESS PHYSICAL AGAINST LARGER OPPONENTS AND CERTAINLY NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER IN AGE. THIS WAS HOLLAND'S RESPONSIBILITY. I THINK HE TOOK A CHANCE ON RELYING ON THE NUMBER OF GOALS SCORED INSTEAD OF GOALS AGAINST THIS SEASON. THAT SEEMS FAIRLY OBVIOUS BUT IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE WORKING 'CAUSE IT ALSO DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THEY'RE GOING TO REPEAT. IN ADDITION………WHAT HE SEES IN LILJA ON DEFENSE IS A MYSTERY AND WHY HE RESIGNED CHELIOS AS A PART-TIME DEFENSEMAN, AND IN ALL DUE RESPECT TO CHELIOS, IS SOMEWHAT PUZZLING. IT'S UNLIKELY THAT DETROIT'S ERRATIC PLAY THIS SEASON WOULD'VE EVER HAPPENED UNDER BOWMAN. ACTUALLY, VERY UNLIKELY.

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