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Franzen Won't Play In Opener

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By IRA PODELL The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 24, 2008

DETROIT - The Mule was kicking and skating on Friday, but Johan Franzen isn't quite ready to rejoin the Red Wings lineup yet.

Franzen, who leads the NHL with 12 playoff goals in 11 games, has been out with recurring headaches and concussion-like symptoms since Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. Although he is feeling much better, Franzen will be sidelined again tonight when Detroit opens the Stanley Cup finals against Pittsburgh.

"I'm feeling good," Franzen said Friday after practicing for about an hour. "I was excited to be back out on the ice. It was a lot of fun to be with the guys again. I'm out of shape, but otherwise I felt good."

That wasn't the case in the second round, when the Red Wings were in the midst of sweeping the Colorado Avalanche. Franzen isn't sure when he got hurt or if one hit did him in, and all he knows is he didn't feel right once the series shifted to the Rocky Mountains for Game 3.

There were headaches and symptoms that were unfamiliar. Franzen tried to play through it, finishing out that series and suiting up for the opener against Dallas. When he didn't get better, he decided it was time to get checked out.

"I was waiting for it to go away, but it didn't," Franzen said. "I thought it was the altitude in Colorado, but it didn't go away."

It has been about two weeks, and now he feels ready to get back into action. He found it difficult to watch the Red Wings play without him, especially when he was enjoying the most productive period of his career.

"He's made huge strides this season from being a checker to a penalty killer to playing on the top two lines, being a big part of the power play," top Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He uses his size to his advantage, and once he figured that out he's taking the puck to the net a lot more."

Franzen has scored an NHL-high 27 times in 27 games since March 2.

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