Howard hears Bronx cheer

For much of this NHL season, Jimmy Howard has been the saving grace of the Detroit Red Wings. Saturday, Howard provided grace under fire. Allowing goals on three consecutive shots and four out of five shots in a 6-1 loss Saturday to the St. Louis Blues, Howard heard the bronx cheers on his final stop before giving way to Petr Mrazek when he parried a 100-foot shot aside with his stick. “It happens,… Howard said with a shrug of the mock cheering. “It comes with the territory. “It’s one of those positions where it happens to even the best guys in the league.… At the same time, Howard wasn’t about to shy away from his responsibility for the setback in a game where the Wings weren’t terrible. “The team doesn’t concern me at all,… Howard said. “What it came down to it tonight I need to come with saves for the guys. “At the end of the day the guys did their job and I have to do mine for them.… Howard, who played brilliantly through the first six weeks of the season, has allowed four or more goals in five of his last eight starts and six of his last nine appearances. “I don’t think I have to change too much, just be a little bit more patient and let the play come to me,… Howard assessed of the adjustment he’d be required to make to get his A game back. Detroit coach Jeff Blashill was also loathe to blame his goalie for the failures of a team that has one win in its last eight games. “I think his game is right where it needs to be,… Blashill said. “I think there’s some nights where the puck goes in. I was a goaltender. Some nights the puck finds ways to go off people.… Blashill wasn’t about to call out the fans, but it was also clear he didn’t think the Bronx cheer for Howard was warranted. “I get it, we’ve got a passionate fan base, but this guy has done nothing but … the one thing I know about this fan base is they appreciate guys that go to work and put their head down and fight through adversity. That’s what the guy has done. “He was down and out two years ago, and could have said, ‘Woe is me.’ Could have had a bunch of excuses. No chance, all he did was go to work. “He’s a guy that I’m certainly proud of and this city should be proud of. But I also understand the passion. It’s frustrating. They’re frustrated, we were frustrated and Jimmy’s frustrated, but in the end, that’s the type of guy, certainly a player I’m proud to coach and his teammates are proud to be a teammate of and I’ve got no concern about Jimmy Howard long-term.… Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer