Detroit Red Wings All-Time Team and Line Combinations
Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood is going to get the nod over the great Dominik Hasek for the role of backup goaltender. Osgood stands second on the team in all-time wins, with 317, and was a part of three Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings teams (1997, 1998, 2008).
Although he doesn’t have the greatest save percentage (in fact his .905 SV% trails Jimmy Howard and Dominik Hasek), he does have a long legacy of being a reliable and clutch backstop.
Originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings 53rd overall in the 1991 draft, Osgood debuted with the team during the 1993-94 season. His first season left a bit to be desired, as he only maintained a .895 SV%, and 2.86 in spite of a 23-8-5 record.
By the 1995-96 season however, Osgood had become the full time starter of the Detroit Red Wings, and one of the leagues premier goalies. In 50 starts that season, Osgood compiled a 39-6-5 record, to go along with a 2.17 GAA and a .911 SV%. That same season Osgood helped lead the team to their first cup appearance since 1966.
In split start duties with Mike Vernon, Osgood contributed to the Detroit Red Wings’ back to back Stanley Cup Championships in 1997 and 1998. Osgood departed the team after the 2000-01 season; right before the Detroit Red Wings would win their third cup in six years. He would return to the team after the lockout, in the 2005-06 season.
Osgood saved his greatest performance for the twilight of his career. In the 2007-08 post-season Osgood put up a staggering .926 SV% in 23 starts, leading the team to a Stanley Cup Championship over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Osgood now works as an analyst for Fox Sports Detroit.