Red Wing Roundup - May 26th

Ashley Gallant | National Hockey League

May 26, 10:10 AM | Hype this story!

Johan Franzen to return tonight?

We can’t have a Red Wing roundup without talking about the Mule. Franzen shares the playoff goal scoring lead with teammate Henrik Zetterberg, but has missed the last six games with concussion-like symptoms.

TSN is reporting that he may be ready to return to the lineup tonight, as he went all out in practice yesterday without any headaches. Doctors will re-evaluate him today after practice and if there are no symptoms, then Franzen will be inserted in the lineup for game 2.

UPDATE: TSN is reporting that Johan Franzen will not play in game 2, but is hopeful for game 3 in Pittsburgh.

UPDATE 2: Babcock initially ruled out the possibility that Franzen will play in game 2, but now it looks like he will play. I’ll believe it when I see it…

Red Wing legends reunited on Sunday

Detroit won 4 Stanley Cups between 1950 and 1955, and some of the hockey legends from those teams reunited Sunday in the Ambassador Ballroom at the Marriott Hotel in Detroit.

Players like Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Marty Pavelich, Marcel Pronovost, and Alex Delvecchio gathered to remember the good ol’ days when the Red Wings ruled the NHL.

“Nobody could figure out what we were going to do back then,” said Lindsay. “We controlled the puck. We had the talent. And we knew how to use it.”

Lidstrom expects more

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom thinks that his team was good in game 1, but the Red Wings can be a lot better.

“We were able to take away lanes. They still had some shots though,” said Lidstrom. “They’re really good at moving the puck around and finding open lanes. Just different options that they have that you have to be aware of.”

“You don’t want to put yourself in that position where you have to kill a lot of penalties early on. If they get a goal early, it could be a different game.”

Cable ratings up

The AP is reporting that game 1 was the most-watched game of the Stanley Cup Finals in six years. It drew 2.3 million viewers in the US and had the highest ratings for an NHL game on Versus. Furthermore, there was a 157% increase in viewers compared to last year, and 100% compared to the 2006 Cup Finals.

Comments

  1. Tom

    May 26, 02:36 PM

    Ashley, From my defensive point of view, Kronwall was extremely effective and was the Wing’s best defender and Orpik was effective for the Pens. The Pens must outplay the Wings in the physical game. With Franzen still sidelined, this ought to be accomplished by Orpik and Letang on defense and Malone, Hossa, Malkin, Staal, Talbot, Ruutu and Roberts, a fair group of physical players. Physical play and fast play must tire older players over the long haul.

    The zebras seem to be giving extra attention to Holmstrom (interferance with the goaltender twice)and Letang (clipping and interference) none of which were good calls. While both play a physical game, undeserved calls make the zebras more important than the play on the ice. If players have to be constantly afraid of what the zebras are going to call, it will lead to very poor hockey.

    The solution to the Wings is for the Pens to become the Ducks. The Ducks own the Wings over the past two years and in last year’s playoffs. Orpik and Letang can play the Niedermayer and Pronger rolls with more youth and speed. Gonchar and Gill can play the Beauchemin and Schneider rolls. The Pens’ forwards can certainly backcheck and forecheck. The Pens can score off of the trap. The Wings have trouble with the trap. The solution seems obvious.

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