Jeff Riger: Ozzie Will Have To Wait For 400
The house was full, the fans were chanting "Ozzie, Ozzie" and for almost 57 minutes of hockey it looked like history would for sure be made at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday night. The Wings had a 3-2 lead late in the game and all anybody could think about was Chris Osgood getting his 400th win, something that just 9 other goalies have ever accomplished. Of course then Brendan Morrow happened, he got possession of the puck after a Brian Rafalski costly turnover and the next thing you knew, the game was tied and all the "Ozzie" energy had left the building. Osgood said afterwards "it's disappointing, at the time it's not because the game is still going but afterwards you come that close and then you have to start over again. It could still happen at home which I always hoped it would but it might not as well. I was really hoping to do it tonight, it was obviously disappointing, especially with 3 minutes left in the game." After the Morrow goal, Detroit still had a chance to win it in overtime, but Loui Erickson crushed those ideas, netting the game winner with just 42 seconds left in the extra session.
So now the big question becomes when Osgood will be able to get that historic win? Players went to head Coach Mike Babcock to make sure that the goal tender would get that first crack at home, so will they do it again and want him to start Wednesday at the Joe against Vancouver? Nick Lidstrom was not so sure "we will have to wait and see, we will take it day by day now." Osgood himself would not want his teammates going to bat for him again either saying "no because once you get one chance [after that] you can't let it dictate what the team is doing. I even said that, we can switch it once [the goalie rotation] but not twice because that's becoming way too selfish. If it happens at home it does, but if it doesn't then it doesn't."
So how is the quest for 400 affecting Osgood, is it consuming him at all, will he be relieved when he gets it? "If it was April I would be a little concerned but it's not" the goalie said. "It will happen sooner or later, probably a little relived for sure, and [when it does happen] I can't disagree with that." The next realistic chance Osgood will get will be Thursday on the road in St. Louis, a former team of his. History obviously did not come at home so maybe that means that it's destined to come on the road, but either way the good thing is, that it is coming.
