No More Doubting It: Chris Osgood Is a Big Time Goalie
May 28, 2009
With the rematch of the Red Wings and Penguins just a couple of days away, one thing is for sure.
They love Chris Osgood in Detroit.
Nothing gets me more choked up as a sports fan than a "feel good" story.
That is, when a player who isn't expected to do well does well anyway. It is the guy that nobody wanted to draft. It can also be the guy who has faced adversity of some kind. This kind of player needs a great deal of resiliency.
A few years ago, Red Wing fans wanted Chris Osgood out of town. He was traded and replaced with Dominick Hasek. Then he returned a few years later.
Last year, he was the backup for most of the year. Then he replaced Hasek early in the playoffs.
He led them to the Stanley Cup. The same fans who once wanted him out are now in love with Ozzie. If that isn't a great "feel good story" I don't know what is.
As much as I love the "feel good story," it would be unfair for me to call Osgood that.
He was a feel good story last year—this year he has become much more than that.
He wasn't tested much against Columbus. Against Anaheim, he went head-to-head with Jonas Hiller and got the best end of it.
Looking at the series with Chicago, he was magnificant in game two and again in game five. Both of those games were overtime victories for the Wings.
It is safe to say that the Wings may not have won without Osgood.
Based on that, Ozzie has become more than a "feel good story," he is now a big-time goalie and deserves to be recognized as one.
I can't wait for the finals to start and I am excited about moving forward with our big time goalie.