Many will tell you that Chris Osgood is NOT an amazing goalie; people will tell you that he only wins cups because he plays for the Red Wings. These points may be valid, but there’s no way he’s not one of the best goaltenders in modern NHL history. He has won three Stanley Cups, two of them as the primary goaltender during those playoffs. Seriously, how many other goalkeepers can say, “I punched the second best goalkeeper in history in the face”? Mike Vernon, and nobody.
Osgood entered the league drafted by Detroit in the 1991 entry draft and was finally called up to the NHL in the 1993-1994 season. He began his career as a backup to Mike Vernon, who was a very successful goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings; leading them to a Stanley Cup championship in 1996. That year, Osgood led the league in GAA and wins (2.17 and 39, respectively). Osgood got almost no playing time in that postseason, but still finished with his name in the Cup. Additionally, Osgood scored a goal as a goaltender, becoming the second goaltender to fire the puck into the net. Ron Hextall also scored a goal directly as a net keeper.
The next season, Vernon was gone, and Osgood got all the starts he could handle, leading the Red Wings to the finals, resulting in back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, sweeping the Washington Capitals for the second straight time in the Finals. of the Stanley Cup. That was the year in the playoffs when the Avalanche-Red Wings fought for the second straight playoff season. Osgood’s fight with Patrick Roy wasn’t as good as the fight with Vernon, but any time goalies throw punches, it’s good hockey.
After the Red Wings signed Dominik Hasek in 2001, Osgood became a free agent after the Wings tried to trade him several times. Osgood was signed by the New York Islanders, where his season numbers were not great by any stretch of the imagination. Osgood’s critics like to point out that he only got them into the playoffs and didn’t advance them to the second round. Of course, this is true, but the New York Islanders that season were a team without any serious stars or even top hockey players. He shared time with Garth Snow, then, the following season, he shared time with Snow and Rick DiPietro before being traded to the St. Louis Blues.
He played even worse in the Blues team, but again he had very little help in that team. Chris Pronger was still a St. Louis Blue at the time, and they also had Keith Tkachuk, who scored more than 20 goals. Apart from those two good players, there was no one in the Blues to protect Osgood or score goals. It’s completely unfair to look at Osgood’s numbers while he was at the Blues and say he’s not a top-caliber goalkeeper. To say that Osgood only plays well with an excellent in front of him is ignorant and stupid. Goalies can only do so much to help a team succeed in the regular season. The playoffs are a whole different matter because an attractive goalie can potentially be the only reason a team gets deep into the postseason.
Osgood essentially played part-time in a season and a half with the Islanders, still winning most of the games he played. His GAA was higher than his career average, but the defense (and offense) on that Islanders team was mediocre at best. It’s unfair to place much of the blame, or credit, on a bad team’s goalie when they go seven games and are knocked out in the first round. When he played for the Blues, his GAA and his wins increased compared to the previous season. The Blues had one of the longest streaks of consecutive playoff appearances in pro sports history, but when a team like this lets its veterans and young stars go to other teams, you can’t expect the goalie to make up for it all. it’s.
Osgood won his third Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings last season in 2008. Dominik Hasek was again the number one goaltender at the start of the postseason. Hasek played his first three games against the Predators miserably; so Wings manager Mike Babcock put Osgood in goal. The Wings, in turn, began to dominate the playoffs, winning nine games in a row, including a four-game sweep against the Colorado Avalanche. He posted a 1.55 GAA and had three shutouts, two of which came in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was runner-up for the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) behind teammate Henrik Zetterberg.
This season, the Detroit Red Wings are poised and prepared to make another run at back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. The Wings are second in the West behind the Sharks by four points. In all likelihood, the Wings will end up with second seed and host division rival Nashville. The Wings may struggle against the Predators, and Ty Conklin may even see some playing time during the postseason if Osgood fails. This season with the Wings has been one of Osgood’s worst statistical seasons of recent years. His SV% is only .884 and his GAA is 3.18.
Regardless of these numbers, and regardless of the outcome of this postseason for Detroit, Chris Osgood is one of the greatest goalies of all time. I’m not saying he’s THE best, but his championships and his ability to anchor a solid postseason team are undeniable. If the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup again this season with Chris Osgood, he might even become one of the top 5 goaltenders in NHL history. As far as goaltenders go, just about every other goaltender in the league today (Broduer excluded) wishes their careers were as successful as Chris Osgood’s.