More on the Goalie Controversy

Back from a brief hiatus, Bill over at Abel to Yzerman runs with the ball I’ve been carrying for the last couple weeks, that Chris Osgood is outplaying Dominik Hasek.

Chris Osgood’s your starter. He has to be. 17-1-5 his last 23 starts. 10-1 this year. And a team that plays differently in front of him than they do in front of Hasek.

I’ve said before that Osgood’s play this year reminds me of the end of the first Matrix movie, when Neo is fending off Agent Smith using only one arm and yawning. Osgood is in that kind of zone right now, like the rest of the world is moving slower.

Of course, I should attach the disclaimer that I’ve always been an Osgood fan. He didn’t deserve the blame he got in 2001, that was an awful series all around and the Kings got extremely lucky on one reviewed goal in particular.

But Bill admits to having picked on Osgood for years, so maybe his words carry more weight.

And, try this: what have we seen over the last year that proves Dominik Hasek is actually a better goalie than Chris Osgood? If Hasek is the unquestioned starter, it’s due to reputation and the possibility of success rather than anything he’s proven since he signed last summer.

Bottom line: Hasek’s the number one in name only right now. If he turns it around, great, but if not then the Wings have got to be ready to make Osgood their playoff goalie.