Jimmah, Take 2

I like to eat. It’s a fact, plain and simple. Food is something that gets me excited and I’m always on the lookout for the next best dish or hot new restaurant. Living in Seattle is hardly a disappointment when you’re a foodie like myself. There’s always a new place to try, and the Northwest is famous for their fresh ingredients and unique twists on classic dishes.

So I’m checking up on my local food reviews the today and one of the recommended establishments is a place in the Queen Anne neighborhood called Crow. It’s one of those places that has the funky, swank atmosphere and the menu with dishes that have “Seattle” written all over them. I immediately decided that a visit is in order within the next week or two, and I promptly began crafting an email to my better half telling her that I was making a reservation for the weekend.

What I meant to write was this: “Guess what? Found a new place. We are going to eat @ Crow.”

Except, in my hurried state I forgot an integral part of the message. A part that, as soon as I saw it, resonated in another part of my life.

“We are going to eat Crow.”

Just over a month ago, I penned a post calling for the swift and merciful end to what was, at the time, an experiment that was failing miserably. The Jimmah Howard Experiment to be exact. Jimmah was fresh off being lit up for six goals in Edmonton, punctuated by a style of play that involved flailing, sliding and challenging shots from almost the blue line. To make matters worse, the Wings were struggling, injuries were piling up and the reality that our group of superheros was finally coming back down to Earth was painful and uncomfortable to swallow.

I needed a scapegoat. Jimmah was it.

Let’s be clear: I’m not backing off anything that I wrote that day. At the time, I firmly believed that no good could come when Jimmah was between the pipes and I put those thoughts out there for everyone to see. Rather bluntly in fact:

Go find the nearest mirror, look at your reflection and repeat after me: “I believe that Jimmah Howard is a good goaltender.”

If you kept a straight face, something is wrong with you.

Ah yes. That was a good one. Another gem:

Deny it if you want, but in this corner of the blogosphere it’s as clear as day: Jimmah. Howard. IS. NOT. GOOD.

Frustration: It’s a funny thing.

At any rate, friend of the blog Kyle Kujawa from over at Babcock’s Death Stare was quick to call me out on being a little quick to pull the trigger. His point was that no young goaltender comes into a situation like the one in Detroit and immediately starts ripping it up and challenging for the Vezina. He was right. I knew he was right. But I was still frustrated and wanted someone to blame and Howard was still the easy choice. That said, I did have a slight moment of clarity and objectivity when I wrote the following response:

I’ll say this much: I’m never above saying that I was wrong with an opinion and if Howard starts putting it up, then I will shut up and eat my crow and say I was wrong. I’m just not buying into him yet, for better or worse.

Is it all coming together now?

_____________________________________

This weekend, when I sit down at Crow and enjoy whatever delectable dish tickles my fancy, it will be more than just a meal. It will be my words. It will be my pride.

Ready?

I was wrong. Jimmah is putting up. And he’s putting up in a big way. In the month of November, Jimmah rubbed my nose in it by going 6-2-0 with a GAA of 2.09. He pulled my hair by making clutch saves and keeping the Wings in close games. He wet-willied me by standing tall in shootouts against Montreal and St. Louis. He’s solidly positioned himself as the number two goaltender in Detroit and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say he’s making a run at the top spot as Osgood continues to struggle.

Plain and simple: He’s getting done on the ice and he’s getting it done in my book too. Of course, every single one of you reading this right now assumes that the moment he falters, I’ll be waiting there to say “I TOLD YOU SO!”. Not the case friends. Yes, Jimmah has some kinks to work out and yes, he’s still a rookie who will make mistakes, but it’s evident that his confidence is picking up and so too is his play. Add to it a defese that is starting to get comfortable working in front of him, and Jimmah should be feeling pretty confident. He’s done work and he’s gotten better and he deserves his shot in net.

And he’s shut this blogger up.

Good for you, Jimmah Howard. I can only hope my dinner on Saturday night is as delicious as the play you gave us in November. And I hope that neither disappoint as we move into December.

Image courtesy of ctv.ca

Tags: The Jimmah Howard Experiment