Sniff..sniff…I’ll second that!

And no…I’m not crying that Hasek may be on his way out of the “top” spot.  My whole family’s been calling him the “Sieve”

Posted by Phil from Middleburg Heights, OH on 11/26/07 at 01:08 PM ET

Everyone think:

Is there a way we can sneak some thorazine into the gatoraide at the Joe?

Better to be done sooner than later!

Posted by w2j2 on 11/26/07 at 01:15 PM ET

I smell a tantrum coming…

My bet is the Dom will disappoint you once again, on this one.

It is not as if he was not deserving of a layoff, and he is a professional after all.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 11/26/07 at 02:43 PM ET

So, Hasek hasn’t been playing because he’s been “deserving of a layoff”?  I can’t believe the shoe is on the other foot here, but that appears to be the case.  What’s blinding you Gramps, about the fact that Osgood is simply a better goalie right now than Hasek is?

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 11/26/07 at 03:15 PM ET

No tantrum from Dom:

“I know I haven’t played well, but I feel very good in practice and I feel healthy and that’s most important right now,” said Hasek. “I was in at the beginning of the year and I didn’t play well. Ozzie played great game a few times, most of the time. Right now, I believe when I get back I can play on the highest level again. Then I can play more games in a row, then I will feel even better. ... I have no problem with it.

“Of course I’ll be glad to play more games in a row. It makes it easier for me. But this is the way it is.”

I’m getting pretty sick of people bagging on Dom for the hell of it, frankly.  I don’t understand the concept that you must be so loyal to one player on your favourite team that you have to hate the other guy, and hope that he does poorly.  Hasek was great last season, and he was tremendous in the playoffs.  Why wouldn’t somebody want both goalies to do well?  Ozzie may be more affable, and Dom’s obviously bat**** insane, but he’s actually grown up over the past year or two—enough that he and Ozzie actually, really, honestly, truly get along well, and enough that Hasek’s teammates appreciate his work ethic and willingness to work hard to stay healthy.

I want Dom to do well and Ozzie to do well, and whoever earns more starts, good for that guy, but I like both goalies, and I don’t root for either one to fail so that the other “more deserving guy” in my mind gets his due.  I really don’t understand why people love to hate Hasek as much as they do.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/26/07 at 04:19 PM ET

I don’t dislike Hasek, George.  I appreciate the fact that he’s remained professional the last few weeks and I believe he’s still a talented goaltender.

I also believe Osgood provides the Wings a better chance to win, and should be starting as frequently as other “starters” across the league do. 

I also believe that if Dominik Hasek is formally relegated to a backup role he will go completely insane.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 11/26/07 at 04:25 PM ET

I smell a tantrum coming…

The WAHmbulance is on standby at the Joe.  Then again, maybe the Czech miracle of insanity will suprise us.  Maybe.

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 11/26/07 at 04:42 PM ET

I’m with George on the Hasek/Ozzie thing and will address the issue in my preview tomorrow.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 11/26/07 at 04:56 PM ET

I think that Ozzie’s the better starter right now, Bill, but the tantrum…I’m not sure Dom’s gonna blow his top this time around.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/26/07 at 04:59 PM ET

I guess the other thing is that I really do find that people who have disliked Hasek from the get-go, those who actually wanted his groin to pop last season, seem to be reveling in the fact that he’s struggling while Osgood’s been dominant.  It’s like, “Pile it on” time, and that pisses me off, frankly.  I’m not exactly Andreas Lilja’s biggest fan, but I want him to play like he did vs. Columbus last weekend 100% of the time, and I want him to play so well that he earns another contract with us, you know?

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/26/07 at 05:01 PM ET

What George said!

also:

I REALLY LIKE coming to A2Y and seeing Hank in the Winged Wheel on the cover of Hockey News. 

It does worlds for “Canucks and Beyond”, too!

Posted by w2j2 on 11/26/07 at 05:06 PM ET

I never root for injuries, myself.  Bad karma.

That doesn’t mean I sometimes don’t wish for someone to get a debilitating 24-hour bug and be incapable of getting out of bed, let alone playing, only to miraculously recover full strength about two hours after the game. 

I think it will make it easier for Hasek because Osgood is such a likable guy and isn’t trying to “take his job,” just play as well as he can every time he plays.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 11/26/07 at 05:23 PM ET

chris osgood has earned the #1 spot. that is how it’s done in detroit. no ill will towards dom but ozzy has matured, is confident, and the team plays well in front of him. no one is going to win every game and dom will get his chance. maybe it’s ozzies time. lets go red wings!!!!!

Posted by kate from pa. on 11/26/07 at 05:29 PM ET

Hasek seems, from the quote offered above, both disappointed and calm about the situation. Cool. I think IWO and George have both declared that we will have the best goaltending duo in the league; agreed.

I’m siding on the Hasek will not blow for a few other reasons beside “growing as a player” and such. Babbles isn’t playing favorite and making the team live the “at-earned-basis” philosophy with all players, including HOFers. That sends a tremendous signal to all our young players. More importantly, Babbles is hoping to fuel Dom’s competitiveness and channel that into his game stealing powers.

Ah, there’s the rub.

Hasek has to earn starts. ok. He has to play great during practice to earn those starts. ok. But there is nothing like playing games for a goaltender. uh-oh. Dom has classically gotten better the more games he plays. yes. So how do we get this guy really going without also jeapordizing the at-earned-basis philosophy?

Posted by srt on 11/26/07 at 05:42 PM ET

I chewed my nails down to the quick during the playoffs last year - not because I wanted to hear that tissue paper tearing sound, but because I was so sure it was just a matter of when, not if.

I don’t hate Dom, but I want to have the best chance to win every night - right now that’s Ozzie and not Dom.  That’s not hate, just fact.

I haven’t seen anybody hating on Dom in these parts, just his play thus far this season.  I think those coming to his ‘defense’ are a little over-sensitive.

And really, after the way he handled the goalie-circus he created with CuJo and The Emo Goalie - is the possibility of a tantrum so horribly far-fetched?  Maybe he blew at the news and Babblecock talked some sense into him that he regurgitated later for the press - who knows…

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 11/26/07 at 07:00 PM ET

This is all the stuff I was hoping we’d be talking about.  I’ve always read the “post-you-blew-our-goalie-situation-up” land as simply as possible—it’s pretty obvious that Kenny and Babs had chats with Dom about what happened, and if you read between the censored lines, it sounded like he only earned the boys’ trust because he both committed himself the pre and post-game-and-practice stretching routine that’s saved his groin, and he simply finally worked into the locker room as a “team player.”  Dave Reginek, the Wings’ team photographer, has a candid shot of the two guys that speaks volumes about how the pouty Hasek has come along.

Chris Osgood’s character speaks for itself; I think that Hasek is just establishing the sort of “I’m a team guy” attitude that he really didn’t have for the vast majority of his career.  That’s why I want to see dom get the chance to establish himself slowly but surely, which is probably Babs’ plan—it sounds like Babs is going to split starts, depending on the Wings’ record (i.e. if we’re hurting for points, the hot hand goes), and will go from there with no overarching master plan, and that seems to be the most logical way to make sure that Ozzie continues to play what I believe is the best hockey, in terms of goaltending fundamentals, anyway, of his career while getting Hasek back into form. 

It’s a strange marriage, but it seems to be working the third time around, and I really hope that’s the case.  If they’d let me into the damn media scrum, I’d ask these questions directly.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/26/07 at 09:08 PM ET

I’m riding the “who’s hot” wave. And if one goes to hell for a while, then the other steps up.  If both go to hell at the same time, well, then it’s up to the coach to get ‘em hot again.

Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 11/27/07 at 10:16 PM ET