Detroit Red Wings Training Camp Preview, Part 3: The Elephant in the Locker Room

For those who have been following along, you may have already read the first two parts of this Detroit Red Wings Training Camp Preview which covered the forward lines and defensive pairings projected to emerge out of camp.

The third and final part of this preview centers, obviously, around Detroit's goaltending.

Now, there isn't much to discuss as to who the No. 1 and 2 goalies will be coming out of camp, Jimmy Howard will start and Chris Osgood will be his backup.

Additionally, there's really not a whole lot either goalie can do in camp to change his status.

Unlike spots on the fourth line or seventh defenseman duties, there's really no competition to speak of in net.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't a million questions swirling around Detroit's goaltending.

Rather than dance around the obvious, this preview is going to tackle, what I call the "elephant in the locker room" head on.  I'll discuss what we might expect from Jimmy Howard, the importance of Chris Osgood regaining his form, and finally, in a move that really jumps the gun, I'll get stupid and give my predictions for how each goalie will fare this season (I know camp hasn't even started yet, that's why I said I'm getting stupid).  Let's end the suspense and get right to it.

Is Jimmy Howard Going To Pull a Steve Mason This Year?

This is the question, right?

Some might call it a "sophomore slump" or a "second-year slide" or some other witty combination of "s" words that are meant to connote a fall from first-year superstar to second-season slouch (see, there's another one).

But, in the end, I think most conversations about Jimmy Howard's second season, at least the ones I've been a part of, inevitably direct themselves to a comparison with Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason.

Mason won the Calder Trophy in 2009 as a 21-year-old based largely on the fact he recorded an astonishing 10 shutouts and punched the ticket for his franchise's first trip to the postseason.

As expected, Mason began his second season amidst lofty hopes that he would come very close to turning in the same performance in 2010.

He didn't.

Though he didn't prove to be a total bust, as he did record five shutouts last year, Mason's play floundered  throughout all of the 2009-10 season, leaving many to wonder how someone could be such an absolute stud one year and a relative dud the next.

The simple answer isn't satisfying, but true: It happens.

Very few players, goalies or otherwise, can start their careers on fire and maintain the flame throughout the rest of their careers.

As a young player, Mason is still finding his groove in the NHL, and it may be another couple of seasons before he's totally comfortable playing as a No. 1 goalie.

Last season, Jimmy Howard stepped in, and beyond all expectations, not only won the starting job away from Chris Osgood (which, admittedly, was hardly a tough task), but went on to essentially save Detroit's injury-plagued season.

Like Steve Mason before him, he's set to enter his second year in the NHL having already turned in a brilliant rookie performance, but many are worried (or hoping, depending on your perspective) that Howard may fall apart in net this season.

Will he?

No, Jimmy Howard Is Not Going To Pull a Steve Mason This Year

And I'll tell you why.

First off, unlike Steve Mason, Jimmy Howard has perhaps the best and deepest core of veteran players around him who will serve as his support system.

Not the least of which, in fact, the best of which, is Chris Osgood.

After all, who better than Osgood to mentor a young goalie emerging as the starting netminder for the Detroit Red Wings?

Osgood has been right where Howard is now and emerged victorious.  He will provide outstanding guidance to Howard on how to become a winner in Detroit.

Secondly, Howard is 26 years old.

He's not a typical sophomore player, one who is still wide-eyed and a relative neophyte concerning the ins and outs of being an NHL goalie.

Howard will have pressure on him, yes, but he will have the maturity and positive attitude required to handle that pressure appropriately.

Lastly, and this is something he shares with Steve Mason—Jimmy Howard is a good goalie.

Now, when you cite the fact that both his goals against average and save percentage were in the top five of the league last year, and that he won 37 out of the 63 games he played, you may get the "Yeah, but..." argument thrown back at you.

You know what this is. 

You've heard it when trying to defend Chris Osgood, Manny Legace, even Dominik Hasek on occasion..."Yeah, but he plays for Detroit, he never has to make big saves or bail his team out and they outscore everyone anyway."

Now, as specious as this argument is, I'll admit, applying this to previous goalies might have worked inasmuch as Detroit has been a perennial defensive machine and offensive juggernaut.

But they weren't last year.

Amidst their worst season in 20 years, Jimmy Howard gave the Detroit Red Wings a chance to win virtually every night he played, and some nights, he was their only chance.

One can talk about Lidstrom and Zetterberg and Datsyuk all they want, but last year, the reason Detroit won hockey games was more often Jimmy Howard than any of those three players.

The importance of this cannot be understated when looking at what Howard could do this year.

Think about it, if Howard's stats dropped to top ten instead of top five status, and his wins to 32 instead of 37 (which is assuming Osgood will take a larger share of the load this season, but I'm getting ahead of myself) this season, would such a "fall" really be that noticeable given the deeper, (God willing) healthier, more talented team in front of him?

Probably not.

And let's assume the best, that Howard simply turns in a repeat performance of last year, given the reasons stated above, is there any reason to think the Red Wings won't once again be atop the league in points and wins?

I don't think so.

What Detroit has in Howard is a talented, mature goalie, being supported by an experienced and talented veteran roster.

How this combination can lead to anything but success is hard to imagine, but don't worry, Detroit haters will get very creative in their efforts to convince you to the contrary.

And What About That Useless Joke of a Goalie They Call Ozzie?

Among Detroit Red Wings supporters, you're likely not going to find a more ardent Osgood apologist than me, so the preceding sentiment isn't one I share.

But, it is one shared by many fans, including Red Wings fans, so let's take a look at it.

Chris Osgood has had two pretty awful regular seasons the past two years.

He managed to miraculously turn his game around in the 2009 playoffs to emerge as the best, yes, I said best goalie of that year's playoffs.

Seriously, check it out.  Nobody who went on to the final four had better stats than Osgood in the 2009 playoffs (I know, "Yeah, but...").

But aside from that performance, the past 24 months have been the absolute worst of Osgood's career.

Now, although Howard is the No. 1 guy, and though I've spent the past few hundred words arguing that he will live up to that status, Osgood is still an important part of this hockey club.

Osgood may be called upon to play as many as 30 games this season (barring injury) in a backup role.

Though Howard was able to shoulder 63 games, and brilliantly so, last season, if Mike Babcock had his druthers, he'd have liked to give Howard a bit more rest through the regular season to avoid overwork or injury.

Last season, he didn't have that option.  The Wings needed wins and Howard was the guy who could provide them, so he rode him like a rented mule.

However, having an able backup start 25 to 30 games is a great way to keep both of your goalies sharp should injuries occur, and get longer life out of your starter in preparation for the playoffs.

Provided things start well for the Wings (and for Osgood), I can almost guarantee that this will be the case in Detroit this year.

That means Osgood better be ready to step up and be the goalie everyone knows he's capable of being...no, not that one...that one.

Additionally, Osgood is four wins away from 400.  The quicker he gets that milestone under his belt, the better he'll feel.  So, it behooves him to make each of his starts count, not only because it's good for the team, but because it's good for him.

Finally, like the rest of his team last season, Osgood has admitted that after two straight years of long and arduous playoff runs, he was mentally and physically wiped out.

This season, the entire team has used their early playoff exit, not only as motivation to regroup and go on another long run, but to rest their minds and bodies.

Osgood is no exception.

If you believe Henrik Zetterberg when he says he feels better than he did last year, and as such, will not repeat his sub-par (by his standards) performance of a year ago, why not Osgood, who has echoed the same?

Because he's Chris Osgood?  Well, let's just see which Osgood shows up.

Injuries and (unlikely) sophomore slumps aside, Detroit's goaltending, like the rest of the team, looks to be re-energized, talented, and hungry to start a new season.  Should Howard perform merely as expected (put up similar numbers to that of a year ago) and Osgood at least partially regain his form, there's no reason to think that Detroit's goaltending will be any more a weakness than their forwards or defense.  Sure, they're going to let in some soft goals and scramble when they should stand still, but Detroit's goaltending will be a strength more often than it will be a weakness this season.  That said, I'll leave you with my prediction for Howard and Osgood's year-end stats for 2010-11:

Projected Games Played, Wins, and Losses for Jimmy Howard and Chris Osgood (2010-11):

Jimmy Howard: 56-38-18

Chris Osgood: 26-16-10

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