Unfortunately, he’s correct on a few of his points.

“a few” as in “all of them”.

I agree Hasek is overrated.  I feel much more comfortable with Osgood in net.  He seems to be in his prime and the Wings should not waste the opportunity to ride that wave.  Heck, many (most?) of the goals that have been scored on him this year were preceded by stellar saves after which his defensemen didn’t clear the puck and the opposing players were able to take another whack at it.  We needed Hasek to steal a game in the playoffs against Anaheim, but he didn’t.

Posted by Paul from Miami Beach on 10/30/07 at 06:15 PM ET

You’re so predictable, Bill. I had a feeling that Montgomery column was going to have you foaming at the mouth in no time.

Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 10/30/07 at 06:19 PM ET

I don’t argue with you there Paul, but I do suspect that Montgomery has an agenda with every column he writes that is critical of the Wings.  Had, say, Kevin Allen written that…I’d have no problem with it; just as I have no problem with you saying it.

AlanaH, I am NOT predictable.  I’d expand on that but I have to get some cheese and beer before the game starts in TWO POINT FIVE FRIGGING HOURS.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 10/30/07 at 06:25 PM ET

I do suspect that Montgomery has an agenda with every column he writes that is critical of the Wings.

I don’t interpret this column as being critical of the Wings.  It seems to me it’s critical of a number of players, and one of them is Hasek.  It’s only realistic, IMO, that Hasek is on the way down from the pinnacle of his career.  Most 40-year-olds are.

Posted by Paul from Miami Beach on 10/30/07 at 06:39 PM ET

All last season we heard about Dom showing up early for games to get rubbed down, massaged, stretch, and so on.  I haven’t heard or read anything like that so far this year… is he doing what he did last year or did he fall off the wagon?

Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 10/30/07 at 07:12 PM ET

is he doing what he did last year or did he fall off the wagon?

I think because of the hip injury he isn’t able to right now, but I don’t know if he was doing it before that.  Now, if he can’t do his usual groin routine because of the hip injury, what is his groin going to do when he comes back and plays again?

Posted by Paul from Miami Beach on 10/30/07 at 07:14 PM ET

This is me making a comment about my usual groin routine.

Moving along.

Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 10/30/07 at 08:08 PM ET

I gotta disagree with Montgomery.  Hasek is an excellent puck handler, the real problem is his poor judgement when he is handling the puck, away from the crease.

Paul on Osgood:
“Heck, many (most?) of the goals that have been scored on him this year were preceded by stellar saves after which his defensemen didn’t clear the puck and the opposing players were able to take another whack at it. “

Osgood is a percentage player, and most of the time it works and looks better than Dom’s style. 
But,
Those second shots that beat him have been a problem his entire career.  Watch him carefully, and you will see he takes himself out of the play on the first shot more often than not(many times, on the simplest of saves).  With the defense unable to play the body in the ‘new NHL’ this is going to cost the Wings in the end.  As long as the Wings hold the shots against under 22,and score 4 times a game, Ozzie is very good, but the more SOG, the more often he takes himself out of the play.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 10/30/07 at 08:16 PM ET

Say what you will about the Hasek smear ya got to admit the description of the LANGadaisical one is spot on….

He hates being hit, he’s weak defensively, he tends to sulk if things don’t go his way and he sometimes disappears in big games. And while he has a flair for making a pretty pass or two, he can’t accept a pass to save his life.

Big Game….I watched him disappear for the better part of a season!

Posted by Rumbear from Partly Smokey Diego on 10/30/07 at 08:22 PM ET

I disagree for one reason: Dom’s been costing teams wins because of those wanderings, his tendency to overplay shooters, and his health for what, now, 15 years?

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 10/31/07 at 02:20 AM ET

The nice thing about being a Canucks fan like Alanah is that you rarely have to read about Vancouver players being overrated, since there’s about 1 guy on that team anyone thinks is any good in the first place.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/31/07 at 06:16 AM ET

The stupid thing about the Robert Lang missive is that he’s not overrated.  Anybody that watches him play on a regular basis - particularly those that claim ties to Detroit over the last few years - knows exactly what they’re getting.

Posted by BDH on 10/31/07 at 08:40 AM ET

It’s only realistic, IMO, that Hasek is on the way down from the pinnacle of his career.  Most 40-year-olds are.

Agreed… it’s a pretty safe argument to make.  The important thing is not that there’s a descent from the pinnacle, but how fast the decent is.

is he doing what he did last year or did he fall off the wagon?

I read or heard somewhere (maybe it was those voices in my head) that he was doing the same stuff as last year.

Posted by BobTheZee on 10/31/07 at 12:50 PM ET

I read or heard somewhere (maybe it was those voices in my head) that he was doing the same stuff as last year.

Sounds right.  Since it worked, it would be news if he decided to change his routine.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 10/31/07 at 01:23 PM ET

IMO, everything Montgomery says about Hasek is true…and has been since his arrival in Detroit for the 2001-02 season. No big deal. He’s still good enough to win another Cup with this team—and so, BTW, is Ozzie.

I’m not certain whether Mr. Montgomery is guilty of anti-Detroit leanings (I usually try to avoid his work). I do know, however, that I trust the Chief’s instincts, so I’d like to suggest an appropriate nickname. How about “Therrible Thed?”

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 11/01/07 at 10:57 AM ET