Belive in Howard! It Feels Gooooooood!

By Adam W Parks

Damn, Game 4 seems so long ago. Remember when Jimmy Howard stopped 29 shots in his first career playoff shutout? That was awesome!

Facing a potential 3-1 series deficit in front of the home crowd, and In the midst of criticism, doubt, and pressure to be benched from the fans, Howard became a real postseason goaltender right before our eyes. The scrutiny was nothing new for a Red Wings goalie, but it was a fresh experience for Howard, and he handled it with style.

I wrote a full article about the pressure-packed position between the pipes in Hockeytown on Wednesday. I scrapped it because it was too long. I rewrote it on Thursday to focus more on Howard, but lost all focus with the swirling hype surrounding the first round of the NFL draft--Suh! Best!--so I scrapped that one too.

I wanted to get something done before tonight's Game 5. Great timing, late on a Friday afternoon, I know. But Hell, it's always a good time to think, talk, and read about the Wings, so here I am, on my couch, with my dog next to me begging for attention, typing a brand new article just for you.


In my first draft I dissected the perspective that you, me, and all the fans in Hockeytown share on goaltending in Detroit. You know what I'm talking about, win a Cup or get the @#$% out attitude. I went back as far as I can remember, Tim Cheveldae, and ran the gamut all the way to our present netminder, Howard. It was exhausting, but interesting.

My whole point, and please leave feedback and comments below, was that in my lifetime there has never been a goalie that wore the Winged Wheel who has been fully embraced by the majority of the fanbase. Mike Vernon might be the closest, but he was under heavy scrutiny before what he was able to do in the 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs, and to Patrick Roy's face! Chris Osgood certainly won over many long-time doubters in 2008, but before that he was probably the most maligned Stanley Cup winning goalie ever, and I don't feel he is beloved today as much as he probably should be.

Dominik Hasek wore out his welcome. Curtis Joseph got a bad rap. Manny Legace's era was shortened and overshadowed by the returns of both Osgood and Hasek. Bill Ranford, Kevin Hodson, Ken Wregget, Norm Maracle, Bob Essensa...

Instead of going into an insane amount of detail about each of these guys like I did with my previous attempts, I'd like to know which goalie, in the last 20 years, is held in highest regard. I always go back to Vernon because that season is untoppable to me, though Osgood did eventually win me over.

The reason why I have been obsessed with this topic is that I have become a BIG Jimmy Howard fan this season. From following him in Grand Rapids, to doubting his potential as an NHL goalie, to seeing him become a Calder Trophy finalist, to watching his Game 4 heroics under intense pressure, The Deal has become one of my favorites of all the Wings goalies. When he lost his mask in that game on Tuesday he didn't flinch, he kept his focus, and he covered the puck in the middle of a crowd. I could see the playoff fire in his eyes.

Whether or not the Wings win tonight, or the series, Howard has done something that no other goalie has in Detroit: made me a true believer. Am I a Homer? Perhaps, but I doubted the guy just as much as everybody else when Ken Holland let Ty Conklin go and gave Howard the role as Ozzy's backup. The guy has shown the brass, the sandpaper, and the balls all season long to earn and deserve my respect and admiration. I can forgive him for his follies.

It bothered me when people called for Osgood after Game 3, but that is what we do, what we've always done with our goalies...isn't it? The attitude of the fans may never change in Detroit when it comes to the goaltending position--it is the toughest job in all of Michigan sports--but Howard has successfully altered my perceptions, and the feeling is euphoric.





Peace