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Jimmy Howard lucky to have Chris Osgood behind him

Image (1) OsgoodHoward-thumb-250x166-9334.jpg for post 887

The Detroit Red Wings know how to win. They’ve been doing it for 20 years, with different coaches and different players and the formula is almost always the same; great defense, incredible skill up forward, tenacity and crispness and solid, veteran goaltending.

This season the Wings have strayed from the formula a bit.

Detroit will head into the post season with Calder and Vezina Trophy hopeful Jimmy Howard in net, the rookie goaltender who has done much more than just be a solid force in net. All season long he’s been the glue that has held the team together, putting them on his shoulders when injuries threatened to keep the team out of the playoffs.

For Howard, it’s a brand new experience with a ton of pressure. Lucky, he has Chris Osgood to help him out. From Ansar Khan of MLive.com:

“He’s always the same, he’s on an even keel, he doesn’t get too upset or too rattled,’' Osgood said. “He kind of has the same demeanor I do, pretty relaxed, just goes and plays. He’s confident. When you have those things and work hard good, things will happen.’'

“I don’t know how he does it, but he can tell when I’m a little tense and he’ll always come up with a one-liner that will make me laugh,’' Howard said. “In the playoffs, I’m sure it’ll be no different.’'

Never before has Detroit entered the playoffs with such inexperience in net, and it’s an incredible thing to have such an accomplished backup behind him. How many teams can boast the ability that if, they’re starting goaltender falters, they have a two-time Stanley Cup winner ready to step up?

Nevermind the fact that he’s been wholly mediocre this season; it’s still a luxury everyone would love to have.