Paul Sancya / AP

Detroit goalie Chris Osgood stood tall against Troy Brouwer and the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

OPINION

By Craig Custance

updated 1:25 a.m. ET May 20, 2009

DETROIT - In the first round of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, at least one Columbus Blue Jackets player suggested some of Chris Osgood's saves were lucky. In the second round, Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle lamented an Erik Christensen shot he thought was fired straight into Osgood's glove.

Over and over, opponents have said they need to test Osgood, the Detroit Red Wings' veteran goalie, more than he has been tested.

In Detroit's 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Osgood was tested plenty. He saw 19 shots in the first period alone, a shot total that often is a game's worth. He's the reason the Red Wings even got the game into overtime.

It was his best performance of the postseason.

"Nothing new for us," teammate Dan Cleary said. "He's a gamer. A big-game goalie, real competitor."

It was a game that featured plenty of offensive chances. Wings coach Mike Babcock said it was fun to watch as a fan, hard to watch as a coach. But the two veteran goalies made up for defensive mistakes.

"That was definitely a fun game, a fast-paced game," Osgood said. "It's fun for me to play against (Nikolai Khabibulin) and Chicago. They have a fast, young enthusiastic team. They gave us everything we could handle tonight."

Blackhawks were loose
If the Blackhawks were uptight heading into Game 2, they did a great job of hiding it. The morning of the game, the mood was light in their dressing room.

Chicago's Colin Fraser had the nameplate over his locker edited with a taped-on new name: Mario. Inquiring hockey journalists assumed it was a nod to Mario Lemieux, but Fraser said that was not the case.

Fraser revealed that the Blackhawks have been putting in serious video game time playing Mario Kart on a Nintendo Wii at the team hotel. Fraser competes as Mario.

"Guys have been giving me a hard time because I haven't been playing very well," Fraser said.

So who is the best? Niklas Hjalmarsson, who dominates with the character Bowser.

"He's just a natural," Fraser said, joking. "He takes command of the game."

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