I view Chris Osgood as goaltending's version of a cat. That's because his career seems to have nine lives.
Just when you think his career is done, Ozzie shows you that it isn't.
We're about to see if that is still true. Osgood is set to return from injury. He's played just 11 games this season. Last season, he played in only 23 games and had a below .500 record - the only of his career. He is 38 years old and in the final year of his contract.
The Red Wings' No.1 goalie is Jimmy Howard. He has more than 30 victories the last two years, but has come under fire lately with the ever-fickle Red Wing fans because his goals against average and save percentage are far down the NHL's statistical list. Of course, many of these fans are the same ones who don't think Osgood - despite credentials which strongly suggest otherwise - isn't a Hall of Famer.
It's like the Red Wings' goalie never wins, but is only a product of his team's superior talent and tradition. Doesn't matter if, like lately, many of the Red Wings stars are struggling to score goals (Henrik Zetterberg, for example, has just two goals in his last 26 games).
All of a sudden, they want to see Ozzie in the postseason. They claim Osgood has done it before, while Howard is an unproven commodity.
While I have vigorously defended Osgood in the past, I wouldn't hold my breath right now expecting him to ride in on a white charger and be a better option than Howard for the postseason.
Ozzie has been off too long. He hasn't been that effective when he has played. I still look at it like it will Jimmy Howard - or bust - for the Red Wings in the postseason.