Nothing to lose

3-0.

Is it really happening? Can it really be happening?

3-0.

It seems like a strange dream. A nightmare, to be exact.

3-0

Fans can't believe it. What in the name of Gary Bettman happened?

3-0. That's the status of the Detroit Red Wings's series against the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have won all three games, each by a score of 4-3. Strange, huh? Not only is it weird to be defeated by the same score three times in a row, but it's even stranger to see the Red Wings, the winningest NHL team of the 21st century, down 3-0 in a series.

It's time. The Red Wings started in a deep hole, and they keep getting handed shovels. Some are from the men in stripes. Some are from the Sharks. The rest are from themselves. If things don't change soon, we'll find ourselves waiting till next season for the Wings to return to the Cup. Momentum must shift.

Now, before I go any further, let me tell you something: I love Jimmy Howard. He is one of the best goalies that Detroit has ever had. He is a Calder Trophy nominee, and, in my opinion, the best of the three. He has played phenomenally all year.

Now, with that said, I believe that it is time to pull the rookie out and go with experience. It's time for Chris Osgood to step out of the mentor role and back between the pipes. I'm not blaming the losses on Howard. He played decent in Game 1 and pretty good in Game 2. He wasn't all that bad in Game 3 either.

But this isn't about good or bad, or even about blame. It's about turning around a team that is trailing 3-0 in a series. That type of comeback is exceptionally tough. How do you pull it off? There's only one way: change dramatically. Switching goalies ought to do the trick. Pulling Howard for Osgood would be a game-changer. Even if Osgood does not play as well as Howard, the simple act of change could shift the momentum right back in Detroit's favor.

It might work out; it might blow up in Mike Babcock's face. If it works out, the Wings will be headed back on their way to the Conference Finals, and, hopefully, the Stanley Cup. If it blows up in Babcock's face, who cares? The Wings would likely have been on their way to failure soon anyway.

Putting in Osgood would be far from waving the white flag of surrender. Let's not forget experience. Ozzie won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. He put on a performance that likely would have earned him a Conn Smythe Trophy had the Red Wings not fallen to Pittsburgh in the Final. He has shown, time and time again, that he knows how to play when he needs to.

Ozzie may not be the better of the two goalies, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is the momentum. Right now it's certainly not on Detroit's side. They're tired. They're frustrated. They're losing hope.

3-0.

How do you get a team that feels that way back on track? Coach Mike Babcock needs to put in Osgood not because he's necessarily the better goalie, but because it is his only chance of getting his team to play the way that they need to.

Hopefully I'll turn on Thursday's game and hear a familiar old chant.

OZ-ZIE! OZ-ZIE! OZ-ZIE! OZ-ZIE!