In Game 2, Red Wings underscored the importance of smart, disciplined hockey

The Chicago Blackhawks took their best shots in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. Nineteen of them in the first period alone.

But Detroit Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood stopped all but one of them to set the tone in a 3-2 overtime victory, which gave his team a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

There are two schools of thought about Osgood at this late stage of his career. One, because the Red Wings have had so many headline-makers such as Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg over the years, the 36-year-old doesn’t receive the credit that he deserves.

The other says that Osgood is an above-average goalie who benefits greatly from a puck-control system that limits the number of opportunities in front of him.

It doesn’t hurt to have Lidstrom around, either. The guy was the Norris Trophy-winner in six of the last seven seasons.

Personally, I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle – because Osgood is more about savvy than spectacular, he tends to be underrated, but he lacks the athleticism to rank among the elite at the position.

Whatever the case, if the Penguins hook up with the veteran in the Stanley Cup Finals again,