Dominik-Hasek-stanley-cup.jpg

Dominik Hasek played for two Stanley Cup champions during four seasons with the Red Wings.

(AP File Photo)

There's an old saying that playoff success in hockey starts with the goaltender.

So that's where we're going to begin with our polls asking MLive readers to select the greatest Detroit Red Wings of all-time at every position.

Our three candidates based on responses from MLive readers are a member of the Hall of Fame, one who was elected this year and a third who many people believe is worthy of hockey immortality.

We're talking about Terry Sawchuk, Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood.

Let's start with Sawchuk.

• Sawchuk played 14 of his 20 NHL seasons with the Red Wings while serving three stints in Detroit. He led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 1952, 1954 and 1955.

In 734 career games with the Red Wings, Sawchuk had a 351-243-132 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and 85 shutouts. Back in the days when the NHL schedule was 70 games, Sawchuk appeared in every game three times.

He was a seven-time All-Star with the Red Wings, won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 1950-51 and captured three of his four Vezina Trophies as the NHL's best goalie while playing for the Red Wings.

Sawchuk was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.

And he did all that while playing without a mask.

•

Hasek, seeking his first Stanley Cup after nine brilliant seasons in Buffalo, was traded to the Red Wings for Slava Kozlov and a first-round draft pick on July 1, 2001. Less than a year later, he was an NHL champion.

Hasek led the NHL with 41 victories during his first season in Detroit, when the Red Wings won their third Stanley Cup in six years as Hasek posted six shutouts in 23 playoff games.

In 176 games during two stints with the Red Wings – he re-signed with Detroit as a free agent in 2006 after a year in Ottawa – Hasek had a 114-39-19 record with a 2.13 GAA, .911 save percentage and 20 shutouts.

He also played for the Red Wings' 2008 Stanley Cup champions but appeared in only four playoff games. He started the first four games of the postseason but lost his job to Osgood after the Red Wings and Nashville split the first four games of their opening round series.

Hasek was elected to the Hall of Fame this year.

• Osgood played for three Stanley Cup champions in Detroit and was the starting goalie for two of those teams (1998, 2008).

He spent 14 of his 17 NHL seasons in Detroit while also playing for the Islanders and Blues between his two stints with the Red Wings.

In 565 career games with the Red Wings, Osgood had a 317-149-75 record, 2.49 GAA, .905 save percentage and 39 shutouts.

Osgood's 401 victories rank No. 10 on the NHL's all-time list – that's 12 more than Hasek – and the only two goalies ahead of him on the list who aren't in the Hall of Fame are Martin Brodeur (688) and Curtis Joseph (454).

And Brodeur, the all-time leader, is a lock to make it.

Osgood's 317 wins, 39 shutouts and 565 games in Detroit are second behind Sawchuk in all three categories.

Based on all of that, Osgood has plenty of supporters – as well as detractors – when it comes to being worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame.

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