Osgood Agitated About Red Wings' Generosity

Osgood Agitated About Red Wings’ Generosity

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD and HELENE ELLIOTT

April 22, 2001 12 AM PT

DETROIT — Goaltender Chris Osgood was the Detroit Red Wings’ best player in their 3-2 loss to the Kings in Game 5 Saturday. He also did an excellent job of cutting through the cliches after the Red Wings fell behind, 3-2, in the series.

“Really, we put out a silver platter for them,” said Osgood, who had 22 saves. “We’ve got to make them work harder for goals. We’re just handing it to them. We’ve got to come out [Monday in Game 6 at Los Angeles] and play a totally different game from the way we have been playing. It started in the last game, a long time before tonight.

“We’ve got a day and a half to wake up and win a game. If not, we’re out. It’s frustrating because we’re losing. We got a little momentum [in scoring twice in the third period Saturday], but we’re handing it to them.

“We’re giving up breakaways, three-on-twos, two-on-ones. Guys are in the slot. We’ve got to tighten it up. We’ve got to show more passion.”

It was the first postgame rant of the series and Osgood was just getting started.

“Some guys didn’t show up tonight,” he said. “It makes me [angry]. The big boys gotta play, but whether you’ve only scored one goal this year, the other guys have to pick it up. Honestly, I can’t believe we’ve lost three in a row. From my angle, we’ve got to play a heck of a lot better.”

Osgood praised the Kings.

“They’ve got three good lines,” he said. “We can’t underestimate them. We’ve got to bring our ‘A’ game with us or we’re not going to win.”

Pressed for details on what it will take for a Red Wing turnaround Monday, Osgood said, “You have to expect more. Good games do not cut it in the playoffs. You have to play better than you have all year. It’s going to be important to score the first goal, but you’ve got to come out and play real solid. You can’t put it on a table for them. They’ve got to beat us four in a row. I like our chances in Game 6.”

Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman said he is uncertain whether Steve Yzerman will be fit to play Monday. Yzerman sprained his left ankle in Game 1 and, reportedly, it could be broken. It also has been reported that he has a broken left index finger.

“It’s only a couple of days away,” Bowman said of a possible return of Yzerman for Monday. “It’s going to be tough to think he’ll be able to play.”

Adam Deadmarsh scored his first goal as a King against Detroit on March 3. He has 22 points in 27 career playoff games against the Red Wings, including a goal in the Kings’ 3-2 victory Saturday.

But the feisty winger downplayed the notion he’s a Red Wing killer or deserves an inordinate amount of credit for the Kings’ success since they acquired him and Aaron Miller from Colorado in the Rob Blake trade Feb. 21.

“I don’t think it’s me. A big part of it was Felix Potvin,” Deadmarsh said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I played those guys [Detroit] a number of times and we’ve had some good series. It’s a great rivalry.”

The Kings’ first penalty of the game was an interference call against Jere Karalahti at 19:25, the longest they have gone before taking a penalty from the start of game. The previous best mark was 5:30 into Game 1. “We talk always about staying out of the penalty box, and finally we did,” Ziggy Palffy said. . . . The Red Wings took no penalties. . . . The Kings have a three-game playoff winning streak for the first time since 1993, when they won the last two games of the conference finals against Toronto and the opener of the Stanley Cup finals against Montreal. Their last four-game playoff winning streak was in 1991, when they won the last three of their division semifinal series against Vancouver and the opener of the division final against Edmonton. . . . Ian Laperriere’s goal Saturday was his first in the playoffs since April 27, 1998, against St. Louis. . . . King defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky (injured arm) skated in the warmups but didn’t play. He was replaced by Jaroslav Modry.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

INTANGIBLES

HITS

Kings: 42

Red Wings: 50

TAKEAWAYS

Kings: 7

Red Wings: 8

GIVEAWAYS

Kings: 11

Red Wings: 25

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