400!
I should talk about Christmas and how I hope you all had a wonderful one filled with family and friends and candles, but right now I need to talk about how Chris Osgood became the 10th goalie EVER to reach 400 wins.
Freaking amazing. This goalie - this guy - I've been following him and loving him and rooting for him for over half my life. Since he came into Detroit in 1993 as a baby-faced 21 year old and worked his ass off, giving up insane goals and making great, gorgeous saves. I remember my Dad pointing out how Ozzie's flashy glove and stand-up style made him different from the floppy goalies of the era. I remember my Dad saying that no one would ever believe Ozzie's a great goalie because he's just too sane. My Dad fostered my love of hockey from the time I was a baby, and Osgood was one of the first players I could appreciate as I started to grow up.
My high school graduation present was an Osgood sweater that I still wear as often as I can. I remember my Dad and I driving to Washington DC in 1998 to watch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals and my Dad trading seats with me so I could sit in the 12th row during period 2 and watch Ozzie up close in his net. I almost got in a fist fight that game with some drunk guys who said he was a crappy goalie. About a week later, Dad and I went to the Stanley Cup parade in Detroit where I wore my Ozzie sweater, almost got heat exhaustion, and got to see my favourite Red Wing driving down Woodward with the Stanley Cup.
Man, I cried when he left the Wings, and I adored his stoicism and humbleness upon the decision. He just wanted to come back someday, and I held onto that hope for a few years - until he did. And lead his team to another Stanley Cup 10 years after his first. Ozzie broke down his game and rebuilt it because he wasn't where he wanted to be.
He's an amazing person - mentally tough, humble, a good friend, a fantastic mentor. He's grouchy and hates twitter, but he's always smiling and pleasant and thoughtful. He, like many of the Red Wings 'old guard' exemplifies the Red Wings system - team first. If his role is to be a mentor to the guy who took his starting position, that's what he's going to do - and that's what he did for Jimmy Howard. And that's what the team did for him last night. Ozzie kept them in the game - stole it even - 46 saves, tied for the most of his career. And Lidstrom and Kronwall and Helm and Zetterberg and Draper, they pulled it out for him and got the win. Because that's what teams do for their goalies.
400 wins. Only 9 goalies have more. Amazing. Never had a losing season until 2009-2010. Three Stanley Cups. Hall of Fame career. Ladies and Gentleman...the Wizard of Oz.
Freaking amazing. This goalie - this guy - I've been following him and loving him and rooting for him for over half my life. Since he came into Detroit in 1993 as a baby-faced 21 year old and worked his ass off, giving up insane goals and making great, gorgeous saves. I remember my Dad pointing out how Ozzie's flashy glove and stand-up style made him different from the floppy goalies of the era. I remember my Dad saying that no one would ever believe Ozzie's a great goalie because he's just too sane. My Dad fostered my love of hockey from the time I was a baby, and Osgood was one of the first players I could appreciate as I started to grow up.
My high school graduation present was an Osgood sweater that I still wear as often as I can. I remember my Dad and I driving to Washington DC in 1998 to watch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals and my Dad trading seats with me so I could sit in the 12th row during period 2 and watch Ozzie up close in his net. I almost got in a fist fight that game with some drunk guys who said he was a crappy goalie. About a week later, Dad and I went to the Stanley Cup parade in Detroit where I wore my Ozzie sweater, almost got heat exhaustion, and got to see my favourite Red Wing driving down Woodward with the Stanley Cup.
Man, I cried when he left the Wings, and I adored his stoicism and humbleness upon the decision. He just wanted to come back someday, and I held onto that hope for a few years - until he did. And lead his team to another Stanley Cup 10 years after his first. Ozzie broke down his game and rebuilt it because he wasn't where he wanted to be.
He's an amazing person - mentally tough, humble, a good friend, a fantastic mentor. He's grouchy and hates twitter, but he's always smiling and pleasant and thoughtful. He, like many of the Red Wings 'old guard' exemplifies the Red Wings system - team first. If his role is to be a mentor to the guy who took his starting position, that's what he's going to do - and that's what he did for Jimmy Howard. And that's what the team did for him last night. Ozzie kept them in the game - stole it even - 46 saves, tied for the most of his career. And Lidstrom and Kronwall and Helm and Zetterberg and Draper, they pulled it out for him and got the win. Because that's what teams do for their goalies.
400 wins. Only 9 goalies have more. Amazing. Never had a losing season until 2009-2010. Three Stanley Cups. Hall of Fame career. Ladies and Gentleman...the Wizard of Oz.