Abel to Yzerman
Sucking, Sitting, Sulking
by IwoCPO on 01/02/10 at 06:58 PM ET
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I promised you guys an H2H update today. I’m waiting on a few bits of info then I’ll post it.
It’s been two days since FNG Digger Chris McCosky told us Chris Osgood isn’t happy. It’s been two years since we saw the same Chris Osgood play a decent stretch of regular season games. McCosky’s article came out on New Year’s Eve and most of you were wasted already and may have missed this little ditty.
You have to get into some games and get into a groove and then I can play like I can. It’s not that I don’t know how to do it.
“But if you don’t play, it’s impossible to get to that point. I’m a goalie, OK, and I’ve been playing for 20-some years since Juniors. What I say (about goaltending) is closer to the facts than what he (Babcock) would say.”
Whoa. I just did a Google search for “Babcock” to see if maybe, just maybe, Chris Osgood was referring to someone other than our Uncle Mike.
There’s Audrey, who is a mezzo-soprano living and working in New York City. I have no idea what a mezzo-soprano is but I’m pretty sure Chris Osgood, if he’s going to frigging bitch about playing time, should find Audrey and tell his story walkin’.
Or maybe, when Ozzie’s saying what he says is closer to the facts than “what he (Babcock) would say”? Maybe he’s talking about Allen Babcock, a dog and cat rescue specialist.
Maybe it was Audrey the soprano or Allen the dog whisperer who fed McCosky something that would lead him to write this…
Regardless of how well Howard is playing, Osgood is going to be the goaltender come playoff time.
Because Mike Babcock, the hockey coach? I’m pretty sure he realizes what we’ve been saying here for weeks. The frigging playoffs are here now and now isn’t the time for our sensitive “number 1” to get his act together gradually, working his way toward the playoffs.
Jimmy Howard is not only playing better, but the team is playing better in front of him than they do in front of Osgood. Last ten games for Howard? Two games with more than 2 goals against. Osgood’s last ten? 5 games with more than 2 goals against. Very basic stats, but the most important ones I can find. Howard is keeping the Wings in nearly every game he starts. I use that two goal marker as a baseline because our offense is so anemic right now. Osgood has 9 games this year where he’s kept the opposition to 2 goals or less (out of 18 starts). Howard? 16 of his 24 starts he’s held the other guys to 2 or less.
And just to be fair? Here’s the rest of that statement from McCosky.
He has more than 400 victories and has been the best playoff goaltender in hockey the past two postseasons.
How about an unpleasant truth? It’s time for that isn’t it? Max Talbot’s second goal in game 7 was a bullet over Osgood’s glove side from about twenty-five feet out, if that. He could have gone glove or stick side, both were open. He chose glove and Osgood barely waved at it. No screen. No tip. Just a slightly above average hockey player picking a shelf and burning “the best playoff goaltender in hockey the past two seasons.”
It was a great shot. A Cup winning shot. And if Chris Osgood had saved it, there’s a good chance we’d be giving him a huge amount of leeway. But he didn’t and we’re not. At least I’m not. With each important game, and every single one fits that description, that Jimmah Howard excels in…he’s convincing me that Chris Osgood may never see another minute of playoff time in a Red Wing uniform.
Osgood pointed to the board in the dressing room that shows the Wings in 10th place, three points out of a playoff spot.
“It’s got to be sooner than later,” he said. “Listen, you’ve got to be a good team guy. For us, it’s all about winning and getting into the playoffs. That’s the main thing for me, no matter what.”
Yep. All about winning. All about getting into the playoffs. Main thing, no matter what.
Another big game tonite against a team we need to get two, legitimate, points against. No BS 3-point game. We need to win these things…outright. So you put your best guys out there, give your team the best chance to win, the best chance to inch closer to that 8 seed. So?
Yeah. So. Howard’s starting tonite. Again.
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Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: wphoulihan@gmail.com