Detroit’s Osgood Isn’t Flashy, but He Gets Job Done

Maybe this is the season Chris Osgood quiets his critics.

The Detroit Red Wing fans and bandwagon jumpers certainly gave their approval Tuesday, chanting, “Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie” in the final seconds. His teammates smothered him with congratulations after Osgood stopped 31 shots in a 3-0 victory that polished off the Ducks in four games.

Yet there are some who merely shrug, even as Osgood and the Red Wings advance. They contend that he is not as good as: (pick one).

Dominik Hasek. Martin Brodeur. Patrick Roy.

“The kid is just so low-key,” Detroit defenseman Aaron Ward said. “He’s not flamboyant. He’s not flashy. He doesn’t play to the media. He just does his job..”

He did it throughout Tuesday’s game. The Ducks had good chances. In one stretch, they peppered him with shots for 15 seconds. Osgood didn’t flinch.

He made 16 saves in the first period, when the Ducks were most aggressive. He made diving stops on Antti Aalto and Marty McInnis. He also found time to take a poke at Teemu Selanne after play was stopped at one point.

“This game was fun,” Osgood said. “Nothing-nothing, those are the games that goalies love.”

Said Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman: “He won the game in the first period for us.”

Still, he wasn’t Roy.

“I can’t comment about what other people say,” Red Wing right wing Doug Brown said. “Ozzie was our goalie last year and we won. He has been terrific this year. That’s all you can ask of him.”’

Still, a few eyebrows were raised when the Red Wings picked up Bill Ranford from Tampa Bay on March 23. Ranford not only won a Stanley Cup with Edmonton in 1990, he was named the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Ranford went 3-0-1 as a starter with the Red Wings in the last month.

And, after all, Osgood is no Brodeur.

“Chris has played through some criticism, but he has two cups,” Duck goalie Guy Hebert said.

Osgood was the starting goalie during the 1995-96 playoffs. The Red Wings were eliminated in the Western Conference finals.

The following season, Mike Vernon was in goal as the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. But Vernon was traded to San Jose for draft picks and the Red Wings handed the job to Osgood.

He was competent and steady in Detroit’s run for the cup last season. He had a 2.12 goals-against average and shut out Dallas twice in the conference final.

Still, there were detractors. Most point to the Red Wing defense, which allows few second chances. That defense became more oppressive when the Red Wings picked up Chris Chelios and Ulf Samuelsson on March 23.

“The new guys take the spotlight away from me and I enjoy that, to tell the truth,” Osgood said.

The Red Wings, though, know what’s back there.

“There are nights when you lose focus as a team,” Ward said. “You need the guy behind you to stand tall, like Ozzie did tonight. He responded tonight when we needed it.”

Even if he is not Hasek. But, then, Hasek hasn’t won a Stanley Cup. Osgood has.