Chris Osgood earns 50th career shutout

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Don't expect Chris Osgood to pop a bottle of champagne or anything like that. Posting his 50th career shutout Tuesday, blanking the Boston Bruins, 2-0, doesn't rank real high on his personal list of achievements.

"I don't put much merit in shutouts," he said, after turning away 29 shots. "I don't know why, but I never have.

"Like I've said a million times, I grew up watching (former Edmonton goalie) Grant Fuhr and all he cared about was winning the game. That's always been my mindset. I don't really care about the score."

Osgood, six wins shy of 400 for his career, has now yielded just one goal in his last six periods, since getting pulled in the first period at Vancouver last week.

"We challenged our goaltender to be better," coach Mike Babcock said. "And it's good that he has been the last couple of games. I thought he played well."

Osgood repeated what he has said for weeks -- he's feeling real comfortable, regardless of what the numbers say.

"I felt good in Vancouver, too, I just made a dumb mistake on that second goal," he said. "Physically, I've felt good for a long, long time. Other than that Buffalo game (6-2 loss), things have been like they were in the playoffs. Take away those six minutes in Vancouver and the second period in Buffalo, things have been great."

Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom scored in a 3:22 span of the first period to provide Osgood with all the offense he would need.

The Wings, 3-0-1 in their last four and 4-1-1 at home, were without flu-ridden defensemen Brian Rafalski and Jonathan Ericsson.

"I think we have guys settling into their roles now," Osgood said. "When you have a lot of new guys it takes time. But we've found good roles for (Darren) Helm and (Patrick) Eaves now, and for Bert (Todd Bertuzzi). It's coming together."

The Wings had converted just two of their last 18 power play chances and coach Mike Babcock talked after the morning skate about finding the workable combinations. Why not just go back to what has always worked?

He put Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg back together (they were separated after Valtteri Fillpula broke his wrist) and the scored the game's first goal just two seconds into their first power play chance Tuesday.

Datsyuk actually lost the faceoff to Patrice Bergeron, but Zetterberg beat everybody to it and blasted it past goalie Tim Thomas.

Datsyuk set up the second goal, as well. He took Bertuzzi's long pass, somehow got control of a bouncing puck as he was driving to the net and being hounded by All-Star defenseman Zdeno Chara and deftly dropped it back to Holmstrom.

Holmstrom poked it past Thomas for his eighth goal of the season and his first against the Bruins. He has now scored at least one goal against every team in the NHL.

"I didn't know that," Holmstrom said. "That's fun but it's nothing I was thinking about. Just a great play by Pav. He's got eyes in his back."

The rest of the game belonged to Osgood. The Bruins had the territorial advantage in the first two periods, firing 21 shots, two ringing off goal posts. The Bruins were credited with 13 scoring chances in the first 40 minutes.

"For sure, Ozzie was our best player," Holmstrom said. "He played great for us. I don't think as a team we played really, really good but we pulled it off and Ozzie stood on his head."

His best saves might have come against Marco Sturm on the same rush in the first period. He made a sprawling save on Sturm's first shot, a backhander, then with a swim motion managed to keep Sturm's second whack out of the net.

"I just tried to battle and get in the way," Osgood said.

Osgood might not celebrate shutouts, but he is looking forward to win No. 400.

"I really try not to know (about milestones) so my mind doesn't wander while I'm playing," he said. "They seem to take care of themselves. Four hundred is big for me."

chris.mccosky@detnews.com (313) 222-1489