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| Pictured: Not Jimmy Howard |
The Coyotes are a physical team; that game will be decided in the corners and between the blue lines. Edmonton on the other hand is a scary/streaky team. Did you see what they and Sam Gagne did to the Suck-Hawks last night? Not that I want to see Howard miss time, but this is the perfect and perhaps final opportunity for Ty Conklin to show his worth before he could be shown the door.
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| 2008-09: When Conklin was Good |
The trade deadline is February 27 and the Wings are in an unfamiliar position of having a lot of wiggle room beneath the salary cap. My mouth is watering at some of the prospects out there. However what I would hate to see is the Wings trade talent and/or prospects for a backup goalie, especially one that played so well in Detroit just three seasons ago.
Conklin was a more-than-adequate backup to Chris Osgood when the Wings made a run to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions during the 2008-09 season. In fact, he was better. Check out their stats:
Ozzy: 44 Starts, 26-9-8, 2 Shutouts, 3.09GAA, .887 Save%
Conks: 37 Starts, 25-11-2, 6 Shutouts, 2.51GAA, .909 Save%
Conklin wasn't good, he was great, though I bet Ken Holland would be happy with just a good version today. His numbers this season are atrocious, creating the swirling rumors that Detroit might be shopping for another netminder. In the eight games he has started his record is 3-5-0 with one shutout, a 3.20 goals against average, and a .886 save percentage.
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| Last Chance? |
Bottom line, Jimmy is the Wings' MVP this season, and Conklin might be looking for a new job before the season is over.
I would love to see the Wings trade for a top-line defenseman. I've read that Babcock would like a big-body forward. That'd be cool too. But what they might need is a backup goalie. Hopefully Conklin can make the most of these two consecutive starts out West, save his job, and save Detroit's trade bait for somebody else.
Peace. AWP
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