From Controversy To Calder

By Adam W Parks

As unpredictable and downright weird this season has been for the Red Wings, perhaps the most bizarre and unexpected result has been the demise of Chris Osgood and the subsequent rise of Jimmy Howard.

Half a season ago everyone was talking about who should get the majority of the starts in goal for Detroit.

A couple of months ago it was all about whether or not Ozzie should be given an opportunity to win his starting job back from Howie, and if the job in the playoffs was still his by rights of the past.

At the onset of the Olympics all the chatter seemed to surround Howard and if he would return from the break and be able to resume and sustain his stellar season. Should Ozzie get some starts to get him ready in case Howard slips?

Howard has responded, and now all of that goalie controversy talk is as scarce as a start for Osgood. In the year 2010 Ozzie has just two starts, both in January, and both losses. Howard has 29 starts and 15 wins since January 1, 2010. He has started the last 18 straight games for Detroit and has gone 10-4-4. I hate to say it because I still love the guy, but Ozzie who?

The new Red Wing workhorse is the prime reason why Detroit is even sniffing the playoffs, and the rest of the league has noticed. Howard has been gaining a lot of attention amongst NHL rookies in the Calder Trophy talk.

Here is what John Buccigross wrote a few days ago:

The Calder Trophy for rookie of the year is coming down to Matt Duchene, Tyler Myers and Jimmy Howard. This makes the evaluation close to impossible to measure. I mean, they play three different positions and are on teams that should make the playoffs. I'm thinking the Sabres' Myers will win. The big defenseman logs big ice time and hasn't missed a game. He would be the first Sabres player to win the Calder since Tom Barrasso in 1984. The only other Sabre to win the Calder was Gilbert Perreault in 1971.

A fair enough assessment, I suppose. Myers is huge, 6' 8" and 222 pounds, and is a fantastic offensive talent. He is the leading scorer amongst Sabre defensemen with 40 points and is fifth on the team overall. His +12 rating is third best in Buffalo.

Matt Duchene leads all rookie skaters in points (49) and goals (23), and is third and second respectively for Colorado in those categories. But both he and Myers do not compare in importance to their respective teams to how much Howard has meant for Detroit.

Howard haters will point out that Boston's Tuukka Rask has better overall stats. The big Bruin leads all rookie goalies in goals-against average (2.12) and shutouts (3), and his .928 save percentage is tops in the NHL.

So why didn't Bucci mention Raski? He is in a time share with Tim Thomas, and the Boston brass must not trust him enough yet because they opted to not trade Thomas before the deadline. Rask has appeared in 35 games, started 30, and has logged 1,984 minutes this season. These numbers do not come close to Howard's workload. Howie has started 51 of his 53 appearances, has played a total of 3,128 minutes, and has 28 wins to Rask's 16.

Is Howard deserving of the Calder? The answer is yes. Check his stats and where he ranks in the NHL amongst all other goalies. Tenth in wins. Fourth in save %. Sixth in GAA. 12th in minutes (3,128), shots faced (1,583), and saves (1,462).

The guy that seemed destined to be buried in Grand Rapids has emerged as one of the league's best puck stoppers, and the Wings' most valuable player. As long as Detroit coasts into the playoffs, Howard should take home the rookie hardware.

Peace