Red Wings still confident in Osgood

May 29, 2008 - 2:45 PM By Zachary Ingraham PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood's impressive shutout streak may be over, but his team's confidence in him is far from gone.

Osgood made 21 saves Wednesday as the Red Wings suffered a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals, cutting their series lead to two games to one.

"I feel real good out there," Osgood said. "Felt like we were going to come back and win. Like I said, I thought it was a real good game. We win some of these (games)."

For the 17th time in 19 playoff games, Detroit outshot its opponent. The Red Wings, however, refused to blame their goaltender for the loss.

"I had no trouble with our goaltending at all," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought they had some good chances, better chances than they had in the first couple of games."

"(Osgood) looked fine," Red Wings defenseman Bryan Rafalski added. "First goal was turnover. Second goal, power play. Third goal, bad bounce."

Osgood, who led the NHL with a 2.09 goals-against average during the regular season, posted a 12-3 record during the postseason with a league-best 1.48 GAA and three shutouts. His teammates still have plenty of confidence in the veteran goaltender.

"Unbelievable, (Osgood) once again gave us a chance to win a hockey game (and) that's what he's going to do in Game Four too," Detroit center Kris Draper said. "The one thing about (him) is he's resilient, you know, all he does is save pucks and give the opportunity to win."

A two-time Stanley Cup winner, Osgood had blanked the Penguins in each of the first two games of the series. His shutout streak was halted at 154 minutes, 58 seconds by Sidney Crosby's goal late in the first period.

After Detroit committed a turnover in its own zone, Osgood stopped All-Star Marian Hossa's attempt but Crosby converted the rebound between the netminder's pad with 2:35 left to give the Penguins their first goal of the series and end Osgood's streak, which dated back to the third period of Game Six of the Western Conference finals.

"Finally," Crosby said. "It wasn't that the chances weren't there. It just finally went in for us. We would hit posts and didn't have bounces that came on our stick near the net. Finally had one go in. It felt good."

Crosby capitalized on another rebound opportunity at 2:34 of the middle session and Osgood allowed another when Adam Hall banked a shot off his pad and into the net.

"I have to figure a way to get back there somehow," said Osgood, who was in the process of returning to his crease when Hall made his bank shot. "Went (off) my right leg and ricocheted to the outside. Made a nice play, waited for me. I was in the middle of nowhere. It happens."

Osgood, who shared the William Jennings Trophy with teammate Dominik Hasek this season, is not only competing for the Stanley Cup but also to keep his starting job with the six-time Vezina Trophy recipient on the bench behind him.

The 35-year-old Osgood, who replaced Hasek as the team's starter before Game Five of the conference quarterfinals, has seemingly put the loss behind him already.

"We go back and practice and get ready for Saturday night," Osgood said. "It was a fast paced game. I thought both teams played good. Somebody's got to lose every night."