Ty Conklin will start the next game. Beyond that, coach Mike Babcock isn't committed to who will be in net for the Red Wings.
It is, however, approaching zero hour, as the playoffs are six games away. Chris Osgood is the No. 1 goaltender, but he has struggled to maintain consistency throughout the season to the point he has a save percentage of .884, the worst of any starting NHL goalie and 45th out the 46 goalies who have played a minimum of 25 games.
Osgood most recently allowed four goals on 26 shots in Sunday's 4-3 loss to Nashville. In fairness, two of the goals were a result of turnovers, and giveaways have been a season-long problem. However, Osgood has an overall goals-against average of 3.17, and while he allowed only two goals on 30 shots in Friday's 2-0 loss to the Islanders, before that game Osgood was pulled after letting in three weak goals in just over 25 minutes March 23 at Calgary.
Conklin most recently allowed two goals on 26 shots a week ago in the 3-2 victory at Edmonton.
"Conks won his last game, and I went back with Ozzie after his night in Calgary and then went back to him again," Babcock said Tuesday. "The bottom line is, it's Conks' turn now, so we'll go with him and see what happens."
Conklin's season numbers are better than Osgood's, with a .912 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average. He has gone 25-9-2 in 38 games to Osgood's 24-8-7 in 42 games.
So is it a no-brainer that Conklin will start the playoffs? No. It is Osgood who has led a team (the Wings in 1998 and 2008) to the Stanley Cup. Conklin? At 33, his NHL playoff experience totals six minutes, played for Edmonton back in 2006. That?s why Osgood remains the favored guy, despite at one point this season being given a 10-day ?mental break.? Osgood?s next game will come either Sunday at home against Minnesota or Monday at Buffalo, and again, the pressure will be on him to show he?ll be steady enough to tend net at playoff time.
NOTEBOOK: Big-minute men Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk were excused from practice to rest. Marian Hossa practiced because he was injured for part of March. Brian Rafalski sat out because of a groin pull suffered Friday. "A strain on the groin is 7-10 days, generally," he said. "Obviously I don't want to have any setbacks this time of year."...
The Wings have the NHL's best power play at 25.5%, but have gone 3-for-33 the last eight games. "Not a whole bunch is bothering me except the puck isn't going in the net," Babcock said.
It is, however, approaching zero hour, as the playoffs are six games away. Chris Osgood is the No. 1 goaltender, but he has struggled to maintain consistency throughout the season to the point he has a save percentage of .884, the worst of any starting NHL goalie and 45th out the 46 goalies who have played a minimum of 25 games.
Osgood most recently allowed four goals on 26 shots in Sunday's 4-3 loss to Nashville. In fairness, two of the goals were a result of turnovers, and giveaways have been a season-long problem. However, Osgood has an overall goals-against average of 3.17, and while he allowed only two goals on 30 shots in Friday's 2-0 loss to the Islanders, before that game Osgood was pulled after letting in three weak goals in just over 25 minutes March 23 at Calgary.
Conklin most recently allowed two goals on 26 shots a week ago in the 3-2 victory at Edmonton.
"Conks won his last game, and I went back with Ozzie after his night in Calgary and then went back to him again," Babcock said Tuesday. "The bottom line is, it's Conks' turn now, so we'll go with him and see what happens."
Conklin's season numbers are better than Osgood's, with a .912 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average. He has gone 25-9-2 in 38 games to Osgood's 24-8-7 in 42 games.
So is it a no-brainer that Conklin will start the playoffs? No. It is Osgood who has led a team (the Wings in 1998 and 2008) to the Stanley Cup. Conklin? At 33, his NHL playoff experience totals six minutes, played for Edmonton back in 2006. That?s why Osgood remains the favored guy, despite at one point this season being given a 10-day ?mental break.? Osgood?s next game will come either Sunday at home against Minnesota or Monday at Buffalo, and again, the pressure will be on him to show he?ll be steady enough to tend net at playoff time.
NOTEBOOK: Big-minute men Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk were excused from practice to rest. Marian Hossa practiced because he was injured for part of March. Brian Rafalski sat out because of a groin pull suffered Friday. "A strain on the groin is 7-10 days, generally," he said. "Obviously I don't want to have any setbacks this time of year."...
The Wings have the NHL's best power play at 25.5%, but have gone 3-for-33 the last eight games. "Not a whole bunch is bothering me except the puck isn't going in the net," Babcock said.
