When Mike Babcock came to the Wings he was known as a no nonsense coach. He made the players drill on keeping their sticks on the ice. Repeat: He made Steve Yzerman practice keeping his stick on the ice. He didn't play favorites. Last season in the playoffs, he played Filpula as a rookie. Why? Because he was playing better than some of the more established players in front of him on the depth chart. He bench Samuelson in the playoffs last season. He benched Kyle Calder, when we could have used his grit. He put Yzerman on the 3rd line.

So what is this loyalty to Hasek? Osgood is playing out of his mind right now. He is hot as hot gets for a goalie. Hasek is coming back from an injury and playing like he just got called up from the minors.

Right now I'm watching the Chicago game, and Hasek has given up four goals on 18 (or so) shots... 3 of them shorthanded... I said THREE OF THEM SHORTHANDED.

He's not holding his rebounds. He's overplaying the puck. He's not following the play. He careless. He's trying to keep the puck in play with 2 opposition players on top of him. In short, he's making bad decisions.

And Osgood (who has just as many Stanley Cups as Hasek - one more if you count the one he won as Vernon's back-up) is riding the pine. Why?

Is Babcock using the kiddie gloves on the notoriously eccentric Hasek?

If his pride gets hurt, so what? Maybe he'll start playing better. Maybe he'll play more focused.

Osgood has said in interviews that they (he and Hasek) don't care who is starting. They have said that they have a good relationship. They just both want the team to win.

So play Ossie.

If Hasek becomes a locker room cancer... send him to the minors, trade him at the trade deadline... no nonsense.

Our best chance of winning right now is with Ossie. A win in November is the same as a win in April. If Hasek shows that he can be the Dominator later in the season, then play him. Play the hot hand. Don't let the hot hand sit on the bench and keep track of the shooting charts in a ball cap.

I generally agree with Babcock's decisions. But this is baffling.

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