No, he is not the most athletic goalie in the NHL.
No, he is never going to be considered in the same league as Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo or Marty Turco.
What Chris Osgood has perfected is far more challenging, though—staying calm and collected while facing less than 20 shots a game.
Where most goaltenders may get cold after only seeing three shots in a period, Osgood continues to make big saves off breakaways.
He loves the challenge.
He loves making the big save.
He stays focused at all times.
Detroit should have never let him go on waivers, and maybe one of the brightest moves Ken Holland has ever made as a GM was to bring him back into the fold.
At 5'10" and 178 pounds, Ozzy has the ability to make himself look big in the net just by playing simply and keeping square to the puck.
He was not nervous going into Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, and the 4-0 shutout of the Penguins—his first ever shutout in the Finals—was proof.
In fact, Osgood just wanted to get the game going. It's when he is at his happiest—playing the game he loves.
After signing a $4.25 million, three-year contract extension with the Wings (which is a bargain), he declared he was taking his kids to Disneyland.
I wish all athletes came under this mold—in it for the pure love of the game, and a family man to boot.
His statistics this year have been nothing short of brilliant.
In 43 games, Osgood went 27-9-4 with a sparkling 2.09 goals against average. His star has once again shone in the playoffs since winning the job from Dominik Hasek. Ozzy has gone a remarkable 11-2 in the postseason with a 1.48 GAA—not too shabby, for a 35-year old that nobody wanted in 2005.
The fact is, Chris Osgood could be on his way to winning his third Stanley Cup, and yet his name may never be mentioned in the top goaltenders of all time. Heck, even I didn't give this guy any credit going into this series.
Maybe, though, that's just what Ozzy likes. He isn't one for the spotlight—he just wins hockey games.
comments (2) write a comment »
write a new comment
4 months ago
Did you really put Turco in the same sentence as Brodeur? I read three times! Marty Turco does not hold water to Brodeur, Roy, or any of the elite. Otherwise, a good article.
4 months ago
I would definitely argue that Dominik Hasek was the best big-game goaltender of this era. Obviously not any more, but previous to this year, sure.
Osgood though is definitely a great big-game goaltender though because he has nerves of steel. Long gone is the Chris Osgood from 1994 who lost to the San Jose Sharks in 7 games, and later cried in the locker room. Osgood has been a confident and solid, if under appreciated goaltender for over a decade. This series is perhaps the toughest Osgood has ever faced. In the 98 playoffs and in the first 3 rounds of these playoffs, Osgood has never had to face an offense like Pittsburgh's, but you're exactly right. He's more than proved he's up to the challenge with a shutout against that offense in game 1.
The best way to sum up Osgood, at least for me, is that He's a goaltender that will not lose you the game. 9 times out of 10, he won't win it for you either, but score a couple goals for insurance, and he won't let you down. Pretty much the textbook definition of solid.
The next great Osgood debate, especially if he wins the cup this year, will be does he belong in the hall of fame.
write a new comment