2009-10 Season Kickoff Half-Week

With a tight start to the season cram-packed with games from Thursday October 1 to Saturday October 3 things were exciting for Former Islanders, some in new locales, some comfortable in familiar surroundings. Here is a quick look:

Pittsburgh Penguin wingers Ruslan Fedotenko and Bill Guerin are the FIs of the week after having a fabulous start each receiving 2 points in their first 2 games. Fedotenko had a goal and an assist in the Pens 4-3 SO win over the Isles on Saturday including netting the tying goal. Guerin split assists over the Pens' first 2 games to notch a point-per-contest. Staying with Pittsburgh may pay off big dividends for the two two-time Stanley Cup winners.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo bombed his first week surrendering 7 goals on 49 shots between those two contests notching and 0-2-0 record with a 3.53 goals against average and an abysmal .857 goals against average. If the Canucks are to succeed it will be on the heals of Bobby Lu and vice versa.

Speaking of goalies Detroit's 1A backstopper Chris Osgood had a less than spectacular start surrendering 4 goals on 23 shots in his first start. He has an 0-1-0, an .826 save percentage and a 4.06 goals against average. Do you hear that ticking sound? It is the impending end of Ozzie's illustrious career.

Speaking of Red Wing washups, winger Todd Bertuzzi notched an assist for 1 point in 2 Detroit games over the opening weekend. Inane fact: Bert now has 370 assists on 826 games.

And to return to the Northwest let us look at a pair of FI centers. Calgary's own Olli Jokinen looked clueless notching only 1 assist on 2 games. He is going to have to step it up if the Flames are going to succeed. Surprise, surprise coming from Mike Comrie. The Brick notched 1 helper in Edmonton's lone weekend game, not surprisingly against the Flames. The born-again Oiler is looking to overcome his absolute awfulness that nearly destroyed his career last season.

For a much more impressive debut than any other FI we can give a head nod to Los Angeles winger Ryan Smyth who notched 2 powerplay assists in his first game as a King. Smyth received the 3rd star honor despite the fact that the host Kings were crushed heartily. It looks like Anze Kopitar may have found a new best friend.

In the "a Norris Trophy does not make you special" category we have Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara who wowed with 1 assist in 2 games. Way to go Big Z... no sarcasm at all.

Now to a more memorable FI defenseman, John Erskine. The blueliner had 1 assist in 2 games equaling Chara's excellence.

Oh and let us not forget Roman Hamrlik who notched a shorthanded helper in Montreal's lone weekend game. The shortie assist was Hamr's first since January 7.

While we are still in the Northeast let us peak in on two high-flying FIs. Buffalo center Tim Connolly notched a powerplay goal in his first game of the season. Way to go TimCo! Also helping out with the man advantage was Toronto winger Jason Blake who had 1 powerplay helper in 2 games.

Check in next week as we recap the FI events from Monday October 5 to Sunday October 11 here at FIW!

Friday June 12: Game 7, Stanley Cup Final

With all the cards on the table, the most beautiful trophy in all of sports out of the case and the title of Champion up for grabs the Pittsburgh Penguins tangled with the host Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night. The game was amazing, the outcome somewhat surprising as a hobbled Sidney Crosby and the Pens pulled off a 2-1 victory of the Wings to pull a complete 180 defeating the team that had downed them just a year prior in the Final. Let us put it simply: the Pittsburgh Penguins are the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions! Only one Former Islander played a major role in the game. Here is a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood gave a valiant effort stopping 16 of 18 shots but it was 2 of 3 shots off the stick of Pitt forward Max Talbot that stumped him as his team's offense failed to pull him even in the closing minutes of regulation. Ozzie played well throughout the 2009 playoffs sporting an impressive 15-8 record with a 2.00 goals against average and a save percentage right around .925 with 2 shutouts. However Ozzie lost 4 of his last 5 starts as the Pens overcame 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits. Our kudos go to Chris for playing with talent and overcoming a terrible regular season to become the most commanding backstopper of the playoffs.

Congratulations must really go, however, to the 4 FIs who will now sport Stanley Cup rings as members of the Penguins. First up is aging winger Bill Guerin who was traded right before the deadline by the Isles for a draft pick. Guerin wins his 2nd ring after being a member of the triumphant 1995 New Jersey Devils. Guerin had 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) on 24 games but was scoreless in his last 5. Alas, way to go Billy G! Also sealing up his second Stanley Cup victory is winger Ruslan Fedotenko who played for the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won in 2004. Fedo had 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) on 24 games including 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) against Detroit. Congrats Ruslan! Despite going point-less in his last 6 games, winger Miroslav Satan is now a Stanley Cup winner. Satan has 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points on 17 games. Way to earn it Miro! Finally, though he did not play in a single playoff game winger Eric Godard should receive his name on the Cup after putting in 71 games of service during the regular season. Congratulations Eric.

Well that wraps it up the 2008-09 season here at Former Islander Watch. Check back occasionally during the summer months as we will have some updates especially when we reach the opening of free agency on July 1. Thanks for reading!

Tuesday June 9

With the Stanley Cup repeat only 1 win away the Detroit Red Wings fell short on Tuesday opening the door for a Pittsburgh comeback as the Penguins downed the visiting Wings 2-1 to even the series at 3-3. Game 7 is Friday night and after that we will officially have a champion. The home team has won each of the first 6 games which would seem to swing the pendulum in Detroit's favor but Pittsburgh does have 3 active Former Islanders which undoubtedly gives them the upper hand. Ooh... Only time will tell. However, 2 FIs did try to help in Game 6. Here is a look:

Pitt winger Ruslan Fedotenko had the secondary assist on the game winning goal at the 5:35 mark of the 3rd Period. Fedo now has a balanced 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points on 23 games. Tank has been inconsistent, however, in this final with only 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) on 6 games. Playing like a champ but taking the loss was Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood who looked stellar stopping 29 of 31 shots faced. Ozzie still deserves some serious Conn Smyth consideration and Game 6 was one of his best this postseason. Alas the loss drops him to 15-7 on the postseason while his goals against average remained steady at 2.00 and his save percentage raised slightly to .927. How do you like them apples?

Check back soon as Friday will officially end the 2008-09 season/2009 playoffs. What a glorious ride it has been here at FIW. Thanks for reading.

Saturday June 6

Detroit put those two recent losses to the Penguins behind them as they crushed Pittsburgh 5-0 at home to grab a 3-2 series lead. The Red Wings are now 1 win shy of their 2nd straight Stanley Cup Championship. One of the keys to the Game 5 victory was goaltender and Former Islander Chris Osgood. Let us take a look:

Ozzie stopped all 22 shots he faced and received the 3rd star honor in recording the blanking. The Detroit offense did the rest of the work staking the backstopper to a 4-0 less than half way into play. Osgood is now 15-6 on the postseason with a 2.00 goals against average, a .927 save percentage and 2 shutouts. To add to that, Osgood assisted on the Wing's 2nd goal, his 2nd helper of the playoffs. Those 2 assists sent a single postseason record for the goalie who now has 5 playoff helpers on his career. The blanking was the 15th of his playoff career.

Check back soon as play continues on Tuesday June 9 as the Red Wings can close out the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2nd straight year to grab Lord Stanley's Cup - the holy grail of sportsdom.

Thursday June 4

Two games at home has done good for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they swept their visit to Mellon Arena and evened their series at 2 wins apiece against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. Just like the first 2 games of the series, Games 3 and 4 had a familiar look with the Pens pulling off 4-2 victories in each of those matchups. No Pitt Former Islander stepped up in this one but of course we can take a look at the effort from the lone Detroit FI:

Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood performed just adequately stopping 27 of 31 shots en route to the loss. Ozzie is now 14-6 on the postseason and has lost 2 straight for only the second time in this playoffs and first since the 2nd round series against the Anaheim Ducks in the only time this postseason the Wings have trailed in a series (down 1-2 at that point). Osgood will look to regain his 1-goal form that he had in that 4 game bridge between the Chicago series and the Final when play resumes of Saturday June 6.

Check back with FIW soon for more updates.

Tuesday June 2

As the NHL official enters the summer months the Stanley Cup has not yet been hoisted by a victor. The Pittsburgh Penguins, desperate clinging to dreams of hockey hardware, made a considerable dent in the armor of the mighty Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. The Pens downed the visiting Wings 4-2 to pull the series a little bit closer with Detroit now sporting a 2-1 lead. Play picks up on Thursday night - essentially a make-or-break game for the Pens. Yet again 2 Former Islanders helped out their teams. Here is a look:

Even though it was a gimme point, Pitt winger Ruslan Fedotenko received an assist on a timely goal. Fedo helped out on the empty net goal with 57 seconds remaining, a goal that insured a Penguins victory. Fedo now has 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) on 20 games with 5 (3 goals, 2 assists) coming in the last 5 games overall. Receiving a relatively rare loss was Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood who stopped 17 of a measly 20 shots in a performance that made the powerful backstopper look merely pedestrian. Ozzie is still 14-5 on the playoffs with a 2.00 goals against average, a .927 save percentage and 2 shutouts. Osgood should still be in the running for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Check back soon with FIW.

Sunday May 31

The Detroit Red Wings look to be in cruise control doing in a 24 hour span what seemed nearly impossible considering the hot play of the Pittsburgh Penguins. For the 2nd straight time, and in back-to-back games, the Wings downed the visiting Pens 3-1 to grab a 2-0 series lead. Again, a pair of Former Islanders helped out their respective squads. Here is a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood looked good again repeating stat-for-stat his prior performance with 31 saves on 32 shots as he received the first star honor yet again. Ozzie has 4 straight wins and has recorded victories in 7 of his last 8 overall. He is a commanding 14-4 on the postseason with a goals against average now below 2.00 and a save percentage lingering around .930. He has not given up more than 1 goal over the last 4 starts (albeit one of those starts was only 40 minutes of ice time). Again, a FI helped out on a late 1st Period goal from Pittsburgh. Bill Guerin received the secondary assist on the lone Pens' goal, a powerplay tally, with just over 3 minutes remaining in the opening frame. Having a career best postseason, Billy G now has 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points on 19 games. However, the powerplay helper was the first of the playoffs for Guerin who has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) with the man advantage. That means that Guerin's accomplishments have come almost solely in the 5-on-5 situations.

Check back soon as the Stanley Cup Final chugs along.

Stanley Cup Final Kickoff: Saturday May 30

The rematch of the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins kicked off on Saturday with a rare back-to-back set of finals games set for the weekend. The Wings grabbed the early series lead with a fairly commanding 3-1 win. The lead 1-0 looking to repeat last year's Stanley Cup success. A pair of Former Islanders helped out in the game. Here is a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood was masterful stopping 31 of 32 shots faced to seal the victory and grab the first star honor. Ozzie has won 3 or more for the third time in the playoffs and is now 13-4. Scoring the lone goal for the Pens with less than 90 seconds remaining in the opening period was winger Ruslan Fedotenko. With 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) over the last 3 games including a goal in each of those contests the winger now has 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points on 18 games.

Check back soon for more recaps at FIW.

Wednesday May 27

The Stanley Cup Final matchup is now set as the Detroit Red Wings pulled off a 2-1 OT home win over the young Chicago Blackhawks to win their Western Conference Final series 4-1. Without a handful of regulars Detroit succeeded on the heels of some of the consistent understudies. However, one Former Islander shone in the crowd. Here is a look:

After a rocky regular season goaltender Chris Osgood has earned himself a repeat trip to the Stanley Cup Final and has done it again after having an excellent playoffs. Ozzie stopped 30 of 31 shots faced to secure the win. He received the first star honor for his effort and is now 12-4 on the playoffs with a slim 2.06 goals against average, a hearty .925 save percentage and 1 shutout. Compare the gaa and save % against his regular season numbers (3.09, .887) and we can see a clear picture of the effort the veteran backstopper is bringing with him game-after-game to the playoffs.

Check in soon as the Stanley Cup Final kicks off on Saturday (moved up from Wednesday). It will be a rematch of last year's final except with Marian Hossa wearing Red and White this year. Quite a few Former Islanders are chasing Lord Stanley's glory including Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and of course Chris Osgood of the Wings. In the running for his name on the Cup as well is winger Eric Godard of Pitt who has not had any ice time in the playoffs but did suit up for 71 regular season matches with the Pens.

Sunday May 24

The Red Wings smacked down the host Chicago Blackhawks 6-1 all but stymying the young corps' dreams of Stanley Cup glory as Detroit took a stranglehold 3-1 series lead with the victory. Here is a look at the Former Islander happening:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 18 of 19 shots faced in 40 solid minutes of work before ceding the 3rd Period to backup tender Ty Conklin. Ozzie had played essentially every possible minute of the playoffs for the Detroit and earned a much deserved rest as Conk Block took the Wings home to victory. Osgood is now 11-4 on the playoffs with a 2.14 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.

Check in soon with FIW for more highlights and recaps as we fly headlong into the Stanley Cup Final.

Friday May 22

There was one game on tap on Friday night as the Western Conference Finals reached Game 3. The upstart Blackhawks pulled within one win of the defending champion Red Wings with a 4-3 OT victory at home. Chicago now trails Detroit 2-1 in their series. Here is a look at the Former Islander happening:

Chris Osgood had perhaps his least spectacular game of the playoffs stopping onl 23 of 27 shots faced including surrendering only the 2nd shot of OT. Ozzie is now 10-4 on the postseason and saw his 3 game win streak come to an end with the loss.




Check back soon with FIW for more updates as we continue to follow the conference final matchups.

Tuesday May 19

The defending Stanley Cup champions looked good, real good, as they took on the cinderella Blachawks on Tuesday night. Again, the key Former Islander in this series stood out. Here is a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 37 of 39 shots including the 2 he faced in OT as the Red Wings edged Chicago 3-2 at home to take an early 2-0 series lead. Ozzie has now won 3 straight starts and is an impressive 10-3 (.769 win percentage) in his 13 starts with a 2.04 goals against average an a .925 save percentage. While the numbers are slightly lower than his unbelievably 2008 playoff run Osgood has looked at times like the true leader on the ice making timely saves and finding great positioning.

Check back soon with FIW for more as the conference finals roll along.

Sunday May 17

If a movie were to made of the 2009 NHL playoffs through the eyes of Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood it would likely be called "Ozzie's Excellent Adventure" or "A Tale of Two Seasons". The goalie who suffered an enigmatically bad regular season stats-wise has been a crackerjack top form backstoppper through the first two rounds. Entering the Western Conference Finals keep all eyes on Ozzie. Here is a look at the Red Wing's first game against the hated Chicago Blackhawks.

The Wings manhandled the visiting 'Hawks in the final 13 minutes of play as they downed the upstarts 5-2 to grab an early 1-0 series lead. Osgood stopped 30 of 32 shots faced to improve to 9-3 on 12 playoff games with a goals against average just above 2.00 and a save percentage hovering around .920. Could this be the postseason that Osgood will finally receive the Conn Smythe Trophy he deserves? Only time will tell.


Check back soon as the Eastern Conference Final kicks off on Monday.

Thursday May 14

The last two 2nd Round playoff series wrapped up on Thursday night solidifying the Eastern and Western Conference final matchups. Two attempted come-from-behinds were thwarted as a giant fell and a defending champ rose to the occasion. A lone Former Islander came to the rescue in one contest while in the other the mighty Boston Bruins were felled by the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in OT at home as the 'Canes capped a one-time 3-1 series lead to pull off a 4-3 series victory. Here is a look at the FI notable accomplishment of the evening:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood was just good enough stopping 24 of 27 shots faced as the Red Wings pulled out a 4-3 win over the visiting Anaheim Ducks with only 3 minutes remaining in regulation. The Wings have now won 6 straight playoff series and advance to the Western Conference Final for the 2nd straight season. Most of that success has come on the heals of Ozzie who has been a rock for this team when the pressure is on. Osgood improved to 8-3 on the postseason with a 2.06 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. Ozzie has gone an amazing 22-7 (.759 win percentage) over the last 6 series.

Check back with FIW soon as the Conference Finals kick off on Sunday with the Wings hosting their bitter rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks. On Monday the surprisingly good 'Canes will tangle with the host Pittsburgh Penguins, last year's defending Conference champion. Only 2 teams (Pitt and Detroit) are housing FIs with Osgood starring in net for the Wings while the Pens have a stockpile of FIs in wingers Ruslan Fedotenko, Bill Guerin and Miroslav Satan. Tough guy Eric Godard has failed to make an appearance yet in the postseason. These 4 players represent the last hope for potential FI Cup winners. Thanks for reading.

Tuesday May 12

With 2 series on the brink of being wrapped up on Tuesday night there were 2 squads that avoided elimination and brought their 2nd Round series to pivotal Game 7s. Alas only 1 Former Islander was involved in those games with the Boston Bruins surviving against the host Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 to even a series they trailed 3-1 in at 3 wins a piece in the other contest. Here is a look at the other game:

The Ducks pulled off a must-win 2-1 victory over the visiting Detroit Red Wings to even the series at 3-3 forcing the final game at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday. Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood played well stopping 26 of 28 shots but the Wings' offense failed for 2nd time in 6 games letting the now top-form backstopper down. Ozzie is 7-3 in all 10 of the Detroit playoff games with an impressive 1.97 goals against average, a .924 save percentage and 1 shutout.

Check in soon with FIW for more recaps.

Sunday May 10 and Monday May 11

Finally caught up, Former Islander Watch is now covering Sunday and Mondays contests. FIs were involved in both Sunday games and both Monday games as the 2nd round series start wrapping up. Here is a look at the FI action:

Sunday

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood did not have much to face as the Red Wings defense stepped up allowing only 17 shots on goal with only 1 slipping passed the goalie as the Wings thumped the visiting Anaheim Ducks to snatch a 3-2 series lead. Ozzie has played a pretty excellent 9 games going 7-2 on the playoffs with a slim 1.97 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. It has been a tale of 2 seasons for Osgood who struggled through the regular season but has found top form in the postseason.

Somebody finally found Zdeno Chara. The Boston captain and defenseman made an appearance notching 2 assists as the Bruins blanked the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. The win kept the much favored Bruins alive as the 'Canes hold onto a 3-2 series lead. Chara assisted on the powerplay game winner at the 14:48 mark of the 1st Period and the Bs' 3rd goal early in the 2nd. The helpers snapped a 5 game point-less streak for the giant on skates. Chara now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 9 playoff games.

Monday

Washington center Viktor Kozlov led his team with 2 big goals as the Capitals staved off elimination with a 5-4 OT win over the host Pittsburgh Penguins. The series, predicted by Caps' owner Ted Leonsis to be a "classic" in the making, has lived up to the billing. Despite being outshot 42 to 24 the Capitals persevered on timely goals including the 2 tallies but 1st star Kozlov. He snapped a 3 game point-less stretch and now has 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists) on 13 games. Winger Bill Guerin opened the scoring only 5:55 into the 1st Period. Billy G now has 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) on 12 games.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was embarrassed surrendering 7 goals on 30 shots as the host Chicago Blackhawks shocked the Canucks with a 7-5 win. The victory sealed the series for the 'Hawks 4-2 and makes them the first team to advance to the Conference Finals round. The Blackhawks were down 5-4 with only 7:45 remaining in play before they busted out 3 goals in a span of 3:17 to seal the victory. Lu was helpless dropping his 4th loss in his last 5 starts. After a 5 game win streak to start the playoffs the wheels for else for Luongo who finished the postseason with a 6-4 record, a 2.52 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. The 7 goals against was a single game postseason worst for the usually solid backstopper.

Check in soon as we continue to track the 2nd round series as they wind down.

Thursday May 7 and Friday 8

We continue to try and catch up here at Former Islander Watch and are now setting our sights to Thursday May 7 and Friday May 8. FIs helped out in the 2 Thursday night matchups but only 1 of the 2 Friday night pairings. Here is a brief look:

Thursday

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo played well but the Canucks fell fate to a timely Chicago goal as the host Blackhawks edged the 'Nucks 2-1 in OT. The series is now even at 2 wins apiece. After winning 5 straight to start the postseason Lu has now dropped 2 of his last 3 games for a 6-2 record.




Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood played well stopping 25 of 28 shots as the Red Wings crushed the host Anaheim Ducks to even their series at 2-2. Ozzie is now 6-2 on the postseason snapping a 2 game losing streak that gave the Ducks a short-lived series lead.




Friday

A trio of FIs helped out the Penguins as Pittsburgh got past the visiting Washington Capitals 5-3 to even their series as 2-2. The highlight of the night, however, was the return to the boxscore of winger Miroslav Satan who was playing in only his 4th game this postseason after spending the last 17 games on the NHL regular season in the minors at the Pens' AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre Penguins. Satan last scored a point on March 1 snapping a 4 game point-less stretch. He also snapped a 3 game playoff point-less streak dating back to April 20, 2007 when the Isles played in the first round against the Buffalo Sabres. Satan received the primary assist on the game winning goal just over 4 minutes into the 3rd Period. Receiving the 2nd assist was fellow Isles teammate Bill Guerin who also added a goal earlier in the contest. Billy G has done well, not great, scoring 3 goals and adding 4 assists for 7 points on 10 games. The final FI in the group was Ruslan Fedotenko who scored a goal and added a helper on the insurance goal. Fedo has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 2 games and now has 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points on 10 games.

Check in soon for more updates and highlights as the Conference Finals loom just over the hill.

Tuesday May 5 and Wednesday May 6

We are way behind on the times here at Former Islander Watch. We will try to catch up by doubling the days. Here is a look at Tuesday May 5 and Wednesday May 6. FIs were involved in both games on Tuesday and 1 of the 2 games on Wednesday. Here is a peek:

Tuesday

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 23 of 24 shots as the Canucks downed the host Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 to take a 2-1 series lead. Lu has been an impressive 6-1 in his first 7 games in the playoffs surrendering only 14 goals in that span.





Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood looked good but the offense failed him as the Red Wings fell 2-1 to the host Anaheim Ducks. With the victory the Ducks grabbed a 2-1 series lead. Ozzie stopped 21 of 23 shots faced but lost for the 2nd straight games as Anaheim is stunning the defending champions in a lackluster offensive performance all around. After winning 5 straight to start the playoffs Osgood is now 5-2 with only 13 goals finding their way past him.

Wednesday

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko scored his team's first goal as the Penguins pulled out a 3-2 OT win over the visiting Washington Capitals. The win cut the Caps' series lead to 2-1. Fedo now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in the first 9 games of the playoffs. A Stanley Cup ring wearer, Fedotenko can be an immense help to his teams. When Fedo has notched a point in this playoff the Pens have a 2-1 record.

Check back soon with FIW for more updates and recaps.

Sunday May 3

There were 2 more games on Sunday as the playoffs chug along. With every second round series now started it is now time for the meat of the competition. There was only 1 Former Islander happening of note. Here is a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood's win streak came to end over 101 minutes into the game as the Anaheim Ducks edged the host Red Wings in 3OT 4-3 to even their series at 1-1. Ozzie stopped 42 of 46 shots including 16 of the 17 he faced in the 3 overtimes but it was the one off of the stick of Todd Marchant only 1:15 into OT #3 that got past him. Ozzie never even saw the puck. He is now 5-1 on the playoffs with a 1.95 goals against average and a .928 save percentage. This is definitely a different Osgood than the one who struggled with consistency throughout the regular season. This is Playoff Osgood-Man.

Check back with us soon for more updates at FIW.

p.s. Paging Zdeno Chara. Looking for Zdeno Chara.

Friday May 1

There were 2 games on tap on Friday night as the second round series continue to kickoff. There was 1 Former Islander accomplishment of note. Let us take a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 22 of 24 shots faced to improve to 5-0 on the postseason as the Red Wings edged the visiting Anaheim Ducks 3-2. The Wings grabbed a quick 1-0 series lead with the victory. Detroit walked away with this one having scored with only 50 seconds remaining in regulation in what was a tight tilt. Over those 5 games Ozzie has let in only 9 goals for a 1.80 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. In other news, Osgood received the secondary assist on Detroit's first goal, a powerplay tally. The helper was the 4th of Osgood's playoff career coming in his 110th postseason game. During the regular season Ozzie averages one assist per every 39.44 games but in the playoffs that number drops to one helper per every 27.50 games.

Check in soon for more playoff highlights at FIW.