Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Wizard of Os(good)

Here's a question: can you name the 10 players who have the most wins in NHL history?  (waits a few minutes)  What if I told you that Chris Osgood is in that list?  Don't believe me?  I don't believe it, either, but with a total of 401 wins in his career, that puts him 10th on that list of all-time winningest goaltenders.  As of today, Osgood has officially taken a position with the team he has had the most success with in the Detroit Red Wings.  Despite the 401 wins in the regular season, it was in the playoffs that he made his mark, as the 2.09 GAA and 74-49 record can attest.  Despite all of that, he hasn't gotten the attention that the likes of Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur have gotten.  Of the top 10 in wins, only Curtis Joseph is not in the Hall of Fame, which naturally begs the question of whether Osgood belongs in the Hall when his time comes.  He's hardly ever been mentioned in the same breath as those above him in wins, but he has also been a winner, and three Stanley Cups (he was a starter for two of those) is a difficult thing to argue.  It's been a wonderful career for the goalie with the now-odd looking helmet/cage mask combo, and he has certainly earned every win, even if he doesn't get any credit for it.

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