February 9th - THE RETURN OF THE MULE!

[Guest DatsyukianDeke13]

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20...n_expect_1.html

PITTSBURGH -- Just a quick post-game update:

-- Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said after Sunday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Penguins that forward Johan Franzen should be back in the lineup Feb. 9 at St. Louis. Franzen has been out since the third game of the season on Oct. 8, when he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament. This would give him three games before the two-week Olympic break.

-- Defenseman Niklas Kronwall said he is fine after hurting his left knee early in overtime, when he stepped up to hit Jordan Staal and got the worst of that exchange.

-- Babcock said Tomas Holmstrom will return for Tuesday's game at San Jose. He's been out since Jan. 6 with a hairline fracture in his foot.

[Zeta Power 40 1]

great news

[HockeyTownHouligan 57]

http://content.ytmnd.com/content/1/3/c/13c...6d02d323d05.jpg

GOOD GOOD!!

[dat's sick 1,002]

The best news there is Kronwall imo.. it looked really bad and I was sure he would be out for a while. Not going to completely breathe out yet, I'm sure he'll be checked out before getting cleared.

With Homer back in the lineup our PP should improve. With Franzen back.. hopefully we can score some goals.

[Hockeytown_Ryan 119]

Who goes Bye Bye.??

[jollymania 162]

I still don't want Kronner to play in th Olympics even if he says he's fine

[edicius 3,269]

The best news there is Kronwall imo.. it looked really bad and I was sure he would be out for a while. Not going to completely breathe out yet, I'm sure he'll be checked out before getting cleared.

With Homer back in the lineup our PP should improve. With Franzen back.. hopefully we can score some goals.

When I saw him still on the bench in OT and not gone to the dressing room, I had a better feeling about it.

[Datsyuk2Zetterberg 1]

Johan will save us all.

[stuck in socal 56]

10 game winning streak starting at San Jose!

[Aeothe Kaear 0]

10 game winning streak starting at San Jose!

That was supposed to happen last time. Instead we've sputtered bigtime ever since our last big win in the Tank.

[Electrophile 3,554]

Franzen alone isn't enough to save us. We need the whole team to wake the f*ck up.

[Guest DetroitBoy313]

Johan will save us all.

You know they say that jokes always have some kind of truth behind them.And the funny thing is that I think almost EVERYONE here deep down inside wants to believe that Franzen will save the season.....lol.

[Lidstrom for life 20]

You know they say that jokes always have some kind of truth behind them.And the funny thing is that I think almost EVERYONE here deep down inside wants to believe that Franzen will save the season.....lol.

What do you mean "wants to believe" I do believe it! Unleash the Mule! :siren: :siren:

[Taylorov 37]

Let us bow our heads and "Aye".

[clayjoh 3]

Let us bow our heads and "Aye".

you guys have to realize that franzen will be skating on eggshells for weeks even months after an injury of this magnitude ...also probably playing in a brace too ...so don't consider him a saviour for this season

If we're lucky and he can get his game back in a month or two hw might be a factor in playoffs but as far as regular season he's just getting his wheels back

[Guest DatsyukianDeke13]

You know they say that jokes always have some kind of truth behind them.And the funny thing is that I think almost EVERYONE here deep down inside wants to believe that Franzen will save the season.....lol.

On a team with no natural goal scorers, we are getting back a guy who when healthy is capable of scoring 40 goals in a season. When you get a guy like Franzen back, it takes pressure off of the other lines to produce. Pav and Hank will not be the only ones relied on to score goals, the product of that will be more production and more wins....ideally.

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Franzen-Filppula-Bertuzzi

Eaves-Williams-Cleary

Miller-Helm-Draper

If you look at those line combos and think "this guy could go here and this guy could go there", then that is exactly the point I am making. We will be a team that can roll 4 lines again...like we used to be.

[Taylorov 37]

I think most will agree that he will not instantly start putting up Gordie Howe numbers, but at the very least he will draw attention and free up some ice/time for other players to make plays and produce.

[TheOwl 77]

Mule scores a lot of dirty goals, he's like Homer with a good shoot and a nicer feel, doesn't take a lot of physical skating. He should get the powerplay going again.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

Yes, this is a nice improvement!

[VM1138 1,921]

Franzen alone isn't enough to save us. We need the whole team to wake the f*ck up.

He could be. A lot of the games we're losing are close. He won't help with the blowouts but he'll give us a couple extra wins that we probably won't deserve, which is fine with me.

EDIT: Franzen is money when coming off an injury. Most players take time to get their groove back, I bet Franzen goes on a 12 game scoring streak.

Edited February 1, 2010 by VM1138

[Jesusberg 1,256]

Do his arms and hands work? Because what we need is someone willing to shoot the puck.

[stuck in socal 56]

We just need him to come in and score the timely goal like he used to do for us in the past. He was so reliable in the clutch.

[lookalive07 251]

Not to say that he's just going to turn everything around for everyone in the lineup...

but holy ******* s*** thank God. I miss the Mule.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]