Oh for cryin’ out loud…maybe the guy who gets waived is Mr. “No Less than 3 GA” himself.  I doubt that anyone would take him at this point and let him think about what he has done to us thus far in Grand Rapids for a while.  Give Jimmy a shot at starting a few games…could he do any worse?  If the answer is “yes” then we will be happy to recall Ozzie.  If the answer is “Jimmy IS the answer”, then let’s go with him for a while, boys.  My patience with the goaltending situation has officially run out.  I’d rather not head down to Detroit this Thursday and get slapped in the face by the Seafood.  Maybe it is time to do something drastic…just maybe.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 12/17/08 at 02:36 PM ET

Wow, I thought I was a panicky Detroit fan, but I continue to encounter more and more whiny, panicky Detroit fans every day.

And why WOULD Howard be the answer?  He’s not even the best goalie they have in GR.  Larsson is 8-4 while Howard is 5-9.

Posted by Garth on 12/17/08 at 03:28 PM ET

Head over to A2Y Garth; “panicky” doesn’t begin to describe us.

Drew: I’m glad you have tickets to the game but, um, start drinking early cause the hurt is a comin. And so what? San Jose whopped us all year in 06, but we still beat them in the playoffs. Anyway, yeah, I’m looking forward to see how Conklin can handle a starter’s pressure this season (was last season a peak?) and Howard get a few games in as well.

Howard played really well last year but we couldn’t score for him and lost those games with scores like 1-0, 2-1, etc. I’d love to see Larsson come up but I’m not interested in crushing Howard’s hopes/ confidence.

Posted by Osrt on 12/17/08 at 03:40 PM ET

Wonder if Ozzie was a bit threatened by Conklin since he had a string of strong performances early in the season, and perhaps pushed through some minor soreness to stay in the lineup, and now he’s paying for it.

Certainly would explain how bad he’s been. Not that he’s ever been Patrick Roy, but clearly something has not been right. I attributed it to his mentality, but certainly if you’re thinking about an injury, or trying to cover it up, then you’ve got both a mental block and a physical problem.

The defense needs to improve. Ozzie has been bad, but really, if the D doesn’t improve greatly (I’m staring at the give-away machine known as Nick Kronwall and the always-lose-the-puck-at-the-offensive-blueline machine known as Brian Rafalski), they’re just going to be grasping at straws come playoff time, no matter who’s in net.

Posted by Nathan on 12/17/08 at 04:19 PM ET

Larsson is 8-4 while Howard is 5-9

and osgood is 12-2, so why should we be worried??? because we’re wings fans, that’s why! that’s who we are, that’s what we do.

Drew: I’m glad you have tickets to the game but, um, start drinking early cause the hurt is a comin.

...already have the day off of work on Friday.  Either we lose and I drink and sulk, or we win and I drink and celebrate.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 12/17/08 at 08:05 PM ET

NHL concussion may be simpler to releave than most think. Researchers are now investigating a link between eardrum ruptures and temporomandibular trauma to the skull base. Chin straps in football and the military are identical, N.E. Patriot players are screened for cartilage damage in the TMJ. Boxers with “Glass Jaw” have been found to have this condition, once corrected and fitted with a retainer like device, football players at all levels have found relief from recurrent concussion and its symptoms. The NFL,NHL, NBA all have many players wearing this corrective device, yet NFL research has failed to investigate this new origin of “hidden brain injury” devastating our troops. Concussion and suicide rates are at historical highs in this war, it is not a coincidence, this procedure must be implemented and tested thoroughly for use in all athletics. http://www.mahercor.com has much more information.

Posted by Stevie on 12/18/08 at 12:04 AM ET