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Abel to Yzerman

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Tick, Tock

by IwoCPO on 11/27/07 at 03:05 AM ET
Comments (4)

There is a strong likelihood that within a month the world will have returned to normalcy. Dominik Hasek will have regained his starter’s job.  Chris Osgood will get the nod every four games or so.  Joy will envelop us all and we’ll all look back at November as Iwo just being his reactionary self, finding controversy where none exists.  It could happen.

It’s possible that Osgood could slump for the first time in more than three years.  Probably not though, because the guy is 41-10-12 since returning to Detroit.  It’s possible that Hasek, through extra work with Bedard and extra practice time and Hasek-like focus, could regain the type of form we haven’t seen since late April.  It’s also possible, even probable considering his injury history, that Osgood could get hurt and a decision no one in the organ-I-zation wants to make is taken care of naturally. 

All those things could happen.  But none are likely.  Why is Chris Osgood starting tonite? Because he offers the best chance for two points.  When will Hasek offer the same? After he’s got a few consecutive games under his belt.  When will that happen? When Osgood shows he no longer presents the greater opportunity for victory.  When’s the last time Osgood has played poorly?  In a Wing uniform?  You tell me.  How about April 2001? 

Chris Osgood is the Wing goalie nobody wants in net.  We exhaled and rejoiced when Scotty went with Vernon in the ‘97 playoff run.  A Conn Smythe that should have gone to Fedorov proved him right.  Al McGinnis and Jamie Langenbrunner scored from Muskegon and Niles, respectively, in ‘98 before Detroit won “in spite of Osgood.” Bill Ranford relieved an injured Osgood in ‘99 and if not for an Yzerman cross bar against the bastard Dive…

A 4-1 second round ass kicking at the hands of Colorado in 2000, aided by a 1-goal effort from Brendan Shanahan, a healthily scratched Slava Kozlov and an unbeatable Roy brought Osgood’s playoff record against Denver to 3-10.  Close, but not quite enough to sour us on him for good.  No, that would come one year later against LA.

2001 required a scapegoat.  Forget the fact that Yzerman couldn’t play Game 6 and that Shanahan was hobbled.  Forget that Deadmarsh’s game winner was due to a defensive lapse from Fedorov, perhaps the best defensive forward to ever wear red and white.  None of those reasons matter because it all comes down, when you get punched in the face, to the goalie.  And out the door he went.

Because the best goalie on earth came available and Ken Holland snatched him up, as he should have. 

The best team ever assembled didn’t include Chris Osgood. But neither did losses to Anaheim, Calgary or Edmonton.  Anyone remember wishing Osgood was healthy when the sounds of Rexall were making Manny Legace curl up in the fetal position?  I know I do.  Why? Because by that time Osgood had proven to be the steady commodity in net.  20-6-5 in his first year back.  11-3-6 backing up Hasek last year.  10-1-2 as a starter this season.  And yet, we’re still trying to find reasons why he shouldn’t be the starter.

No matter the stats, no matter what reality tells us--that in order for Hasek to regain any type of consistency he has to play, and in order for him to play Osgood would have to falter, and he hasn’t faltered in three seasons--we can’t get our heads around the idea that the goalie we’ve always associated with blue line bombs and an LA tragedy could possibly be a better option than Dominik Hasek.

You’re going to read a few things the next few days in blogs and in the media that tell you everyone’s satisfied with this little rotation thing Babcock’s got going on.  Some will tell you Hasek deserves a rest. Others will say he’s biding his time, patiently playing the role of the “good teammate.” I’m going to say it again.  Dominik Hasek is healthy, and when he’s healthy no one will be able to convince him he shouldn’t be starting consistently.  He’s saying the right things today, and he will again tomorrow.  But there’s a little rubber band up there, and it’s getting a bit tighter with every game he doesn’t start. 

Sooner or later it’s going to snap.  Don’t believe me?  Ask Ted Nolan, or Jim Kelley.  Ask Bryan Murray.  Ask the Wings who fired pucks at his head in 2003. 

Chris Osgood’s your starter, which he deserves to be...and the clock is ticking.

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Comments

The Wizard of Oz
Gets the nod
Over our
Wizard of Odd

My preview is up, and I sure hope you are wrong about our crazy creaking czech.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 11/27/07 at 05:31 AM ET

Much better prose today Gramps - thanks.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 11/27/07 at 08:40 AM ET

Agreed Hoser. A decided improvement over the Dylan crap he’s been posting lately.

Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 11/27/07 at 08:43 AM ET

For the record, Bill, I have an Osgood jersey.  Just not worried about the situation.  Ozzie and Dom have done a lot of growing up.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/28/07 at 02:34 AM ET

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