Osgood Is No Longer the Forgotten Man in Hockeytown

The conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals always brings with it some tremendous story lines, whether it’s a city eradicating a 54-year curse (the Rangers) or longtime veterans lifting the Cup for the first time (Ray Bourque, Dave Andreychuk). This spring is no different, of course. Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was the first European-born captain to lead a team to a Cup victory, hopefully putting to rest the jingoistic notion that European players aren’t capable of providing great leadership. Detroit forward Dan Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland to celebrate with the Cup, and 46-year-old Chris Chelios the oldest.Of all the story lines to follow, however, none is more compelling than that of goaltender Chris Osgood. More than for any other Red Wing, these playoffs were sweet redemption, Osgood getting a chance to prove once and for all that he is a deserving champion.Back in 1998, with Osgood between the pipes, the Wings won a second consecutive Cup (the last time the NHL had a back-to-back champion), but he never got the respect he deserved. Playing behind one of the NHL’s most talented lineups, Osgood was effectively an afterthought — except when the team underachieved. Three years after backstopping Detroit to the Cup, Osgood was traded to the Islanders so that Dominik Hasek could take over in Motown. The following season, the Wings won the Cup, further raising the volume of Osgood’s naysayers.Osgood played for the Islanders, then the Blues, before returning to the Wings following the 2004-05 lockout, but after two injury-plagued campaigns, little was expected of him in 2007-08. But Osgood had other ideas, incorporating some elements of the butterfly style into his traditional stand-up method. He burst out of the gate by winning his first eight starts, and appeared to have overtaken Hasek for the starter’s role by midseason.Detroit head coach Mike Babcock went with Hasek for the start of the playoffs, but it became apparent that Osgood was the better choice. He backstopped the Wings to nine straight wins (and a 14-4 overall record with him as the starter), making a litany of spectacular saves along the way that inspired the won-over crowd at the Joe Louis Arena to chant “Ozzie! Ozzie!”Now, armed with a three-year contract extension and a third Stanley Cup ring (his second as the starter), Osgood has decisively silenced his critics. The four-time NHL All-Star should be a fixture between the pipes in Motown for the foreseeable future, and as general manager Ken Holland has stocked the roster with young talent, the Wings will remain competitive.Two weeks from today, the NHL will conduct its annual Entry Draft, and no team has done a better job of “cracking” the draft than the Wings. Ostensibly designed to give the weaker teams an edge — and to disadvantage the league’s powerhouses — it hasn’t worked out that way where the Red Wings are concerned.Over the past 16 years — not coincidentally, the entire duration of Lidstrom’s tenure with the club — the Wings have been the NHL’s most successful franchise, consistently picking at the bottom of every draft round. But because they’ve done an expert job of scouting and evaluating talent, they’ve managed to uncover gems year after year, their wealth of prospects belying their supposed disadvantage.Starting in 1997, when they nabbed Pavel Datsyuk with the 171st-overall pick, the Wings have continuously outperformed their advantaged peers. Two hundred nine players were chosen before the Wings picked Henrik Zetterberg in 1999, while 96 players went before Johan Franzen in 2004. And in 2002, the Wings heisted Jiri Hudler (58th overall) and Valtteri Filppula (95th overall).That quintet of skilled forwards made a huge difference for the Wings this spring, combining for 46 goals in 22 games. To best put that production into perspective, consider this: The rest of the Wings’ lineup scored only 26 goals. It’s not easy to build through the draft, not when trying to project the future performances of 17- and 18-year-old hockey players who won’t reach their primes for a half-decade or longer.When considering all of these factors, what the Wings have accomplished this season is remarkable. With younger players such as Darren Helm and Niklas Kronwall also taking huge strides forward this spring, it’s quite probable that this well-managed organization will thrive. Perhaps sweetest of all, Osgood should finally get the opportunity to reap the benefits of his continued loyalty.Osgood is 15th on the NHL’s all-time wins list, and he should be able to pass the legendary Glenn Hall (eighth overall, 407 wins) sometime during the 2009-10 season. Without fanfare, he’s quietly put together a Hall of Fame-caliber career.With this spring’s success, he should finally start to receive the respect he’s long deserved, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.

Osgood Is No Longer the Forgotten Man in Hockeytown

Osgood Is No Longer the Forgotten Man in Hockeytown

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