Quote:
Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue
As for the comment about lacking a "legitimate starting goalie in the NHL"... Yes, goaltending has long been considered the Wings "weak spot", except for the 2002 Hasek year. But I think the reason goaltending was considered the weak spot was because the rest of the team was so good. You had to point to something.
By listing Osgood, Hasek, Vernon and Joseph as exceptions to the rule you pretty much list every starting goalie the Wings have had, outside Legace, over the past 20 years.
Chris Osgood is the winningest goalie in Red Wings history. He was a "legitimate starting goalie in the NHL" for a long, long time. And I'm not sure what you mean by calling Osgood "good but not great regular season goalie". Sure, Osgood may not have been a "great" goalie, but he was a good one and definitely a "legitimate starting goalie in the NHL" for many years. And you can't say that Osgood was only a "regular season" goalie when he won two cups as a starter and his playoff numbers are better than his regular season numbers.
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I have always been in Osgood's corner and believe he is a hall of famer. However, his regular season numbers were often inflated because of the great teams he was on (he did have one great season with the Islanders and that team was terrible). Osgood is mostly known as a playoff goalie and that is a well-deserved label. He was an incredible performer under pressure after the loss to San Jose in 1993 or 1994 (can't remember which year now).
I believe you read what I was saying in reverse, as I was alluding to Ozzie's great playoffs and sometimes average regular season numbers. We all know he didn't always have the best work ethic during the regular season, and his consistency suffered because of it.
In regards to the other goalies, there was a good year or 2 with Hasek but the rest of those guys are forgettable. Joseph's and Vernon's best years were before they played in Detroit (although Vernon did win a Cup in Detroit). I was mostly referring to guys like Greg Stefan, Glen Hanlon, Tim Cheveldae, Bob Essensa, and yes...Manny Legace.
I have been a Wings fan for over 30 years and have never seen them have what I would call a legitimate starting goalie, especially one who is homegrown, until now.
Howard is the real deal.