Resume: 17 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings (1993-2001,2005-2011), the Islanders (2001-2003) and Blues (2003-2004); Second in Red Wings’ history in wins (317) and shutouts (39); Three-time Stanley Cup winner (1997, 1998, 2008)
Vs. Gretzky: Three goals in 10 games
Vs. Ovechkin: One goal in three games
Summary: Osgood earned his first NHL win against Gretzky and the Kings, holding him without a goal in making 23 saves in an 8-3 Red Wings victory on Oct. 27, 1993. He prevented Gretzky from scoring in his first three games against him before he broke through in the final minute of their fourth meeting, a 6-5 Red Wings win on Nov. 14, 1995. Ovechkin scored his 18th goal and first against the Red Wings against Osgood in Detroit’s 4-3 win on Dec. 9, 2005.
Facing Gretzky: “I grew up in Edmonton watching him play, so I idolized him. We had season tickets. I loved watching him. So, [getting his first NHL win against him] was a big deal. He didn’t score, which was a big thrill for me. I was 20 years old at the time. So, when you look back on it, that was a thrill for my career for sure.”
What made Gretzky dangerous? “Gretzky was deceptiveness. You never knew what he was going to do. He had a slap shot, which not a lot of guys do anymore, that was a lot harder than people ever gave him credit for. His snap shot, a lot of backhands, very accurate. But Gretzky, a lot like guys that followed him, like Joe Sakic, was a deceptive shooter. … He’d shoot from everywhere. I remember, I believe when he was with St. Louis, he had a partial breakaway and kind of sliced a half slap shot by me. Kids probably don’t even know what that is now, but it looks like he was going to high, and he turns his wrists and kind of slices it the other way.”
Facing Ovechkin: “I didn’t face him that much. His first ever goal against the Red Wings was against me. I was in the classic pad stack. It came off a rebound. And Nick Lidstrom and Chris Chelios were on the ice, so two Hall of Famers. Ovi, I remember he had a hard shot, a lot like Al MacInnis or Brett Hull, with the one-timer. When I played against him, it was a lot about being on the left side, my right, blocker side, with the one-timer. He’d cross it up and try to go high glove sometimes.”
What made Ovechkin dangerous? “You’d have to get way out because he had a heavy shot. There were very few guys that could beat you through you — MacInnis, Hull, Sakic, Ovi. But the thing about Ovi people don’t really realize is he was very accurate. He knew where it was going. I’ll never forget facing Brett Hull in practice, a very hard, quick shot, but accurate. Ovi’s the same way. For a guy that can put that much velocity on the puck, the accuracy is incredible.”
