With an outstanding 46-save performance last Monday against Colorado, the Red Wings’ Chris Osgood became only the 10th N.H.L. goalie to record 400 career victories.

The debate over whether Osgood belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame began almost at the final buzzer and was surprisingly passionate, eliciting long blog posts from each side, including one that offered a 15-point Bill James-style analysis that concluded Osgood was not Hall worthy.

Those who argue against Osgood, a 17-year veteran, say that all the victories and the three Stanley Cup championships were helped by his playing on some of the best teams of the last 35 years.

Those critics point to his tendency to surrender soft goals regularly and his often-modest save percentage figures (.905 for his career). There is also the fact that Osgood’s Detroit teams have always emphasized defense, which only makes a goalie’s life easier.

The Red Wings’ team-building philosophy has been to spend money on acquiring and keeping strong defensemen as opposed to an elite goalie, a formula that has proved successful.

Osgood’s supporters look at other statistics: his 50 career shutouts and his regular-season goals-against average of 2.49 through Friday for starters.

Only six Hall of Fame goalies have won more games than Osgood, only four have more playoff victories than his 74, and only one has more playoff shutouts than his 15. Only Martin Brodeur reached 400 wins quicker. He has had only one sub-.500 season.

And other Hall of Fame goalies were surrounded by great teams. Johnny Bower’s 1960s Toronto Maple Leafs and Ken Dryden’s ’70s Montreal Canadiens each had nine Hall of Fame skaters.

Numbers aside, the Hall does make a place for character goalies whose statistics might not be top tier, but who battle their way to victories and Stanley Cups. Gerry Cheevers, Billy Smith and Grant Fuhr were all the kind of goalie who might not shut out opponents, but they refused to allow the goal that defeated their team.

That is the sort of goalie Osgood is.