Franzen Upset Refs Missed Call, Stuart has sprained MCL

[Guest DatsyukianDeke13]

Franzen Article Link

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The NHL is supposed to be cracking down on blindside hits to the head. At least that's what Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen thought.

Franzen was upset that San Jose defenseman Douglas Murray, his Swedish Olympic teammate, wasn't penalized for his shoulder check to the head with about 13 minutes remaining in Saturday's game.

“I haven’t seen (the replay), but he sure didn’t come from in front of me, he came from the side and it was a late hit, it was blind side and to the head,'' Franzen said. "That’s the memo I got two months ago, that they’re trying to take that away.

"They come down and get a faceoff on our end and score the next shift, instead of us having a five-minute power play ... it is what it is, nothing you can do about it now.’’

Franzen was down for a while but finished the game. The play resulted in a faceoff in the Detroit end, which led to Patrick Marleau's winning goal.

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Stuart article link

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart registered a game-high seven hits and blocked three shots in 18:42 of ice time. Not bad for someone who played with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Stuart revealed the injury following his team's 2-1 loss in Game 5 to the San Jose Sharks. It happened less than six minutes into Game 4 on a collision with Rob Blake. Stuart left that game and wasn't sure about his status for Saturday until game time.

“It wasn’t bad, took some good pain-killers,'' Stuart said. "I just felt a step slow, wasn’t quite as strong as normal.’’

The injury doesn't require surgery, just some treatment and a few weeks of rest.

Coach Mike Babcock dressed seven defensemen, inserting Brett Lebda into the lineup in place of forward Mattias Ritola, just in case Stuart's knee flared up.

"Stewie's as tough as they come, but we were scared if we ended up with five D after five shifts we’d be in trouble,'' Babcock said. "We wouldn’t have played him normally, but we were up against it.

"We knew it was going to be a three-line game, it’s been a three-line game the whole serires, so I don’t know if that affected us in any way. I thought Stewie was fantastic. Really competed. He’ll be a sore guy tomorrow

[ShanahanMan 473]

As I said, officiating for this series was the worst I've ever seen.

[Travis 576]

Horrible officiating has really plagued these playoffs. Stuart is tough as balls, though.

Already looking forward to next year!

Thanks for the great one, boys.

[Guest Heaten]

Clearly the league didn't want the Wings in the WCF again this year. Refs made sure they weren't.

[Klunzo 36]

Officiating hasn't just been a problem in our series...it's been across the board in every series this playoff season.

[LidsFan 68]

The NHL should be ashamed of the way games have been called in the playoffs. Refs should be held accountable for the calls they make, instead they are allowed to control the outcome of games and that is just wrong.

[Guest Crymson]

The NHL should be ashamed of the way games have been called in the playoffs. Refs should be held accountable for the calls they make, instead they are allowed to control the outcome of games and that is just wrong.

Mick McGeough oversees the officials.

[seeinred 1,488]

I was really expecting to hear that Fil blew out his ACL or something; I'm glad that's not the case. We got off pretty easy on the playoff injuries, though it's only fair after that regular season.

[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

Stuie's the man, gettin his jersey soon for sure.

Yeah, officiating sucked. Not the reason we lost however.

Even at the start of the 3rd, Sharks were pressing more.

[therock48880 14]

Officiating hasn't just been a problem in our series...it's been across the board in every series this playoff season.

This is exactly right. Montreal fans should be just as upset as Wings fans right now. That series has been horribly officiated too. It's become a joke.

[pjgj13 30]

If not for the bulls*** 5-3 PPs for SJ, the series could have finished with US as the series winner. In the 3 4-3 finals, they got 3 late 2 man advantages and scored. We were royally screwed by the refs. Our only 5-3 was late in a game decided in the 1st period. The conversion % in the series was basically even, so if we had, say maybe 1 more PP per game, we would still be alive.

The Wings SHOULD have had 2 LONG PPs in game 5 (knee to knee and the headshot). If either were to happen to the league's posterboy, there would have been major, game misconducts and suspensions. They were MUCH worse than when Kronner got a game misconduct (and suspension?) last year against Chicago.

[b.shanafan14 733]

The Red Wings were definitely not playing to potential in any game but Game 4, but they were all close and the refs decided 3 of the 4 San Jose wins. That is the most frustrating thing at this point. The Wings didn't have it this year and we all knew it and really did decent considering the personnel turnovers and everything, but the refs were a huge factor this entire series and it was FAR from even. The hit on Franzen last night and the goal that followed was the series in a nutshell: SJ gets soft power plays one after another, it finally looks like Detroit earned one but apparently didn't, SJ scores. It always seemed like the soft or phantom calls on the Wings were the powerplays they would score on or right after SJ was given a break on a relatively obvious penalty.

This series was horrible for any fan of hockey. I'm really disgusted with a league that allows their officials to decided games of this importance at this rate. The Wings weren't going to win the cup this year, but the fact that they weren't even allowed to determine their own fate is pathetic. I have a horrible taste in my mouth after this season. Way to ruin hockey again NHL!

[CenterIce 83]

Mick McGeough oversees the officials.

Just in this series. Terry Gregson is the head of officials.

[brandon27 111]

Still can't believe there was no call on the Franzen hit. Unreal...

As for Stuart, Unreal as well. He looked good out there even with the injury. Gotta love that.

[Holmstrom96 347]

Officiating did suck. Wings didn't play well, but does it matter when the refs hand out power-plays only to SJ in the third periods of close games?

It's really disappointing and makes me less likely to follow hockey when I feel the games are rigged. I guess they just don't like the Detroit Yankees.

[Wombat 26]

I'm curious if either Murray or Vlasic will get suspended for the headshot or knee-on-knee hits they gave, respectively. I think since both Wings players returned to the game, and since a new series will be starting, the league will not suspend either, but both hits were at the very least boarderline and need to be reviewed.

[OldMan333 13]

The Red Wings were definitely not playing to potential in any game but Game 4, but they were all close and the refs decided 3 of the 4 San Jose wins. That is the most frustrating thing at this point. The Wings didn't have it this year and we all knew it and really did decent considering the personnel turnovers and everything, but the refs were a huge factor this entire series and it was FAR from even. The hit on Franzen last night and the goal that followed was the series in a nutshell: SJ gets soft power plays one after another, it finally looks like Detroit earned one but apparently didn't, SJ scores. It always seemed like the soft or phantom calls on the Wings were the powerplays they would score on or right after SJ was given a break on a relatively obvious penalty.

This series was horrible for any fan of hockey. I'm really disgusted with a league that allows their officials to decided games of this importance at this rate. The Wings weren't going to win the cup this year, but the fact that they weren't even allowed to determine their own fate is pathetic. I have a horrible taste in my mouth after this season. Way to ruin hockey again NHL!

A good summary of the whole mess. We play better and we win anyway, but with how we played, we let the refs decide the series for us.

[3chrisosgood0 7]

did anyone see the play where the net came off in the san jose end and the refs let play go until the puck was in Detroits end then blew the whistle making the face off in Detroits end as opposed to San Joses? maybe im missing something here but thats total bulls*** the net was very VERy clearly off while the puck was in the san jose end therfore faceoff shoulda been in the zone or just outside of it NOT in Detroits

[Jenny 315]

Oddly, I thought Game 5 was one of Stuart's best. And he did it with a sprained MCL? Damn.

[TimmyJoMoFo 1]

did anyone see the play where the net came off in the san jose end and the refs let play go until the puck was in Detroits end then blew the whistle making the face off in Detroits end as opposed to San Joses? maybe im missing something here but thats total bulls*** the net was very VERy clearly off while the puck was in the san jose end therfore faceoff shoulda been in the zone or just outside of it NOT in Detroits

If Detroit would have maintained control in the SJ zone, or re-gained it in their own end and moved it up ice, play would have been stopped. But since San Jose had control and they were moving from their defensive to offensive zones, the net off its pegs in the SJ zone has no outcome on the play in the Detroit zone. Hence why it wasnt blown dead.

[Octopus's Garden 147]

did anyone see the play where the net came off in the san jose end and the refs let play go until the puck was in Detroits end then blew the whistle making the face off in Detroits end as opposed to San Joses? maybe im missing something here but thats total bulls*** the net was very VERy clearly off while the puck was in the san jose end therfore faceoff shoulda been in the zone or just outside of it NOT in Detroits

YES! That pretty much summed it up for me.

[Namtaru 57]

[zata40 3]

Officiating did suck....last time it was this bad was back when we played Edmonton in the first round. just horrible. Even with that said, the wings still should of been able to pull it off, but they were not even close.

[hockeynut 55]

I'll comment on both. The reason the faceoff was in the Detroit zone is because the net was knocked off by a Detroit player. That is also the reason they didn't blow the play dead because when the puck was in the San Jose zone. It would have given the Wings an advantage (face off in the attacking zone) after they were the ones to knock net off.

As for the Murray hit? It was as much Franzen running in to Murray as Murray hitting Franzen and he lowered his head making a shoulder to shoulder hit become a shoulder to head hit. Also, it was not "late" as Franzen had just gotten rid of the puck. It wasn't like Murray took a run at him from the blindside, it was just two guys arriving at point A at the same time. No penalty, CERTAINLY no postgame disciplinary action needed.

For a team of champs, you guys sure whine a lot. Even the players now?

[mjlegend 155]

I'll comment on both. The reason the faceoff was in the Detroit zone is because the net was knocked off by a Detroit player. That is also the reason they didn't blow the play dead because when the puck was in the San Jose zone. It would have given the Wings an advantage (face off in the attacking zone) after they were the ones to knock net off.

As for the Murray hit? It was as much Franzen running in to Murray as Murray hitting Franzen and he lowered his head making a shoulder to shoulder hit become a shoulder to head hit. Also, it was not "late" as Franzen had just gotten rid of the puck. It wasn't like Murray took a run at him from the blindside, it was just two guys arriving at point A at the same time. No penalty, CERTAINLY no postgame disciplinary action needed.

For a team of champs, you guys sure whine a lot. Even the players now?

Go troll a Blackhawks forum.