He’s inconsistent. Absurd in the shootout. Not clutch in the playoffs. These sentiments have been uttered during goaltender Jimmy Howard‘s tenure in Hockeytown, which has lasted since his rookie season in 2009-10. While the 30-year old’s received his share of criticism and has had his share of struggles at times in his career, way more often than not, he has been a force between the pipes while wearing the Winged Wheel.

Red Wings Fortunate With Jimmy Howard’s Timetable

It started in the previously mentioned ’09-10 season, when then Red Wings starter Chris Osgood was struggling. He had led Detroit to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the previous two seasons, winning the former and losing the latter in Game 7. Howard finished the year with 37 wins, a .924 save percentage, and a 2.26 goals against average (GAA). He finished runner up to Tyler Myers in the Calder vote, and looked to be the next guy to take the reins as the backstop in Detroit.

The next year, Howard again got to 37 wins, but his save percentage declined to .908 and his GAA ballooned to 2.79. This is with Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom and right-hander Brian Rafalski manning the top defensive unit. Many wondered, myself included, if Howard was ready to take on the weight that comes with being a Red Wings goaltender. In 2011-12, he proved his rookie season was no fluke, netting 35 more wins and getting his save percentage back up to .920 and his GAA down to a career low 2.13.

Logging 42 of 48 games in the shortened 2013 season, Howard led the post-Lidstrom Red Wings to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 22nd consecutive time almost single-handedly, matching his GAA from the previous season and posting another .920+ save percentage. He’s the real deal now, right? The Wings sure thought so, because they gave him a 6-year extension worth $31.75 million. Lock him up, he’s our guy.

Well, Howard took another step back in 2013-14. His GAA rose to 2.66 and save percentage went down again to .910, with the former Maine Black Bear being injured at times. He received little help from his defense, but his mechanics just seemed off many times during the season, along with his health. He wasn’t the only Red Wing to be bit by the latter.

“But by no means was it a good or great season.” “I think I can be a lot better, a lot more consistent for the guys, and that’s what I’m going to work on over the summer.” -Jimmy Howard (Detroit News)

This season, Howard has shone. Through 32 games, he’s reeled off 16 wins with a .920 save percentage and 2.11 GAA. However, the team’s weakness is the shootout,where Howard has struggled. Howard has given up 11 goals on 15 attempts, a .267 save percentage, winning zero shootouts and losing six. Valuable points that the Wings have lost that prevents them from being up with the big dogs in the East. Fortunately for “Howie” and the Wings, shootouts do not exist past the regular season, where the games matter most.

However, this run has hit a snag, and ironically, an hour after he was selected to his second all-star team. Howard suffered a slightly torn groin Saturday night in Washington, which occurred not even two minutes into the game.

As the recent tests have reported, it indeed was a torn groin, but slighty, not fully. Take that as you may, but it looked like it could have been a lot more severe than his recovery timetable would have you believe.

Updated. Howard out for 2-4 weeks – Detroit Red Wings’ Jimmy Howard Leaves On A Stretcher, Out With Groin Injury http://t.co/uDFaVDFv5i — Octopus Thrower (@OctopusThrower_) January 13, 2015

Two to four weeks is either absolutely optimistic or unbelievably lucky, but probably the former. Goalies and groins are week-to-week, especially if the groin is torn in any way. Look for Howard to be out closer to the four week measurement, if not more.

A month without Howard, combined with the fact that the Wings play nine of their next 15 on the road (with the California trip still to come), creates the perfect storm of adversity for the Red Wings. Now, the team has a gem in 22-year old netminder Petr Mrazek, but at the same time the Red Wings need their number one guy for the crunch games that determine where you position yourself in the playoffs and if you even make the playoffs. Mrazek could hold the fort admirably, but at the same time, he could struggle with little experience at the NHL level.

Outside of the his shootout struggles, Howard is undoubtedly a major reason why the Wings are where they are. He’s a workhorse, composed, and when he’s on he can steal points for the team for games on end. Through his tenure, Howie is 3rd all time in Detroit Red Wing victories with 168, has a career GAA of 2.38, and posts a career save percentage of just below .920 in just over five seasons worth of games played. Although his playoff success has been limited with his inability for him and his team to get out of the second round, Howard is still in the prime of his career with plenty more to prove. The team will miss him for this fortunate timetable, and Detroit will find out what kind of team they really are in his absence.

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