Osgood signs with Blues

[Shell]

Osgood signs with Blues
Canadian Press
6/11/2003

ST. LOUIS (CP) - The St. Louis Blues re-signed veteran goaltender Chris Osgood on Wednesday.

Terms of the deal weren't released but Blues general manager Larry Pleau said Osgood was eager to stay in St. Louis even if it meant taking less money.

"At the end of our playoffs, Chris expressed to us that he wanted to play a major role in our effort to win the Stanley Cup in 2004," Pleau said in a release. "To do so, Chris is agreeing to contractual terms well below the market rate for a goaltender with his record and experience."

The 30-year-old goalie, who was dealt to St. Louis by the New York Islanders at the trading deadline, made $4 million US this past season. At the time of the trade, the former Detroit Red Wing expressed relief to be leaving Long Island and returning to the Western Conference.

In 37 games with the Islanders this season, Osgood was 17-14-4 with a 2.92 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. He has missed much of the season with an ankle injury. In nine games with the Blues, Osgood posted a 4-3-2 record along with two shutouts. He also played in seven post-season games.

The 5-11, 180-pound goaltender has posted 30 or more wins in seven of his last 10 NHL seasons, posting a career best 39-6-5 record, along with 2.17 goals against average during the 1995-96 season.

The three-time all-star won two Stanley Cups with the Red Wings.

In 501 career NHL games, Osgood has posted a 274-152-58 record with a 2.46 goals-against average.

[folgersnyourcup]

GOOD MOVE! WITH OSGOOD THEY ARE SURE TO WIN A CUP!

????

Of course I wish him and the team all the best.

[Shell]

just some additional info from the St. Louis paper:

It's a one-year deal worth $3 million, with incentives that could help him make up the salary cut from last season. Osgood made $4 million in 2002-03.

[Shell]

The new adventures of Oz
by Ray Slover
Sept. 22, 2003

Chris Osgood has no lame excuses for last season. And that's just what the Blues want to hear.

When training camp opened last week, Osgood began a healthy competition with returnee Brent Johnson for the team's top goaltending job. Key word: healthy. Ankle injuries that derailed both goalies last season are a thing of the past. As is last season's playoff meltdown -- a blown 3-1 series lead against the Canucks. "You have to put it out of your head," Osgood says. "It's forgotten now."

You also can forget notions of a goalie controversy.

"There's no angle or story there," says former Blues goalie Greg Millen, a Hockey Night in Canada analyst, of Osgood. "He is the proven guy and the veteran."

Osgood is the man, thanks to his credentials, confidence and character.

"We expect Osgood to be No. 1 and get back to the way he can play and have confidence in himself," says Blues general manager Larry Pleau, who snagged Osgood from the Islanders last spring, sore ankle and all, to end his team's goaltending problems. Likewise, coach Joel Quenneville says goaltending is not an issue and expects to see Osgood prove his critics wrong.

Among those critics are many Red Wings fans. Osgood "didn't get the credit he deserved for winning the Stanley Cup in Detroit," says Ken Morrow, the Islanders' pro scouting director. Sure, the Wings were a juggernaut in their 1997 and '98 Cup years, with Osgood the starter in the repeat run. And, yes, there were the odd bad goals, too often on shots from somewhere across the river in Ontario. But Osgood has won it all -- something no Blues No. 1 goalie since Grant Fuhr can claim.

Playing goal for Detroit is no picnic. Just ask Curtis Joseph. Osgood's inability to help his team win a third straight Cup in '99 irked fans, and then-coach Scotty Bowman never seemed to like him. Caught in the grind, Osgood's numbers slipped as he lost confidence.

When the Wings acquired Dominik Hasek before 2001-02, Osgood became expendable. Unable to trade Osgood because of his hefty contract, the Wings chucked him into the waiver draft. Boy, were the Islanders glad.

"He was a great pickup for us," Morrow says. "It was a blessing. He was terrific. He brought that winning background, was a likable guy in the locker room and conducted himself like a true professional." With Osgood's help, the Islanders ended a seven-year playoff drought.

Last season, Osgood came unraveled again. First, his failed offseason negotiations with the Islanders resulted in him questioning his job security. Then an attempt to tweak his style so he would cover more of the net backfired. Once he regained his form, he was superb -- before he hurt his ankle, missed 19 games and landed on the trading block. Even after the swap to the Blues, he never got into a groove. Osgood's ankle didn't quit aching until mid-summer. "I was concerned that I wasn't going to get rid of (the pain)," he says, "but once it got to the point it stopped swelling, it's been fine."

It had better be because Osgood relies on quickness, playing deep in the net and zipping from side to side. Try to beat him high, and he will flash his glove hand to make the save.

If he needs a push, he'll get it from Johnson. Expect the St. Louis goaltending situation to be mutually beneficial. Johnson can learn a lot, and Osgood plays well with others.

"All the guys love him, and I'm one of those guys," Johnson says, "but that doesn't mean I'm not going to battle him."

Osgood likes that. "You never want to feel comfortable, but I feel confident about the team and what we're capable of doing," he says.

And that makes the Blues a lot better than they were last season.