NHL Short Notes

RED WINGS LOSE FRANZEN LONG TERM

In only their third regular season game the Detroit Red Wings suffered a serious blow when their emerging forward Johan Franzen suffered an ACL injury in his left knee. This 29 year-old who is a huge part of the Wings offence had two points on the season including last Thursday’s game winner against the Chicago Blackhawks just before getting injured. Franzen who was a 2004 Wings draft pick (97^th overall) is coming off a breakout season that saw him score 34 goals 59 points and an impressive +21. 

SEDIN QUESTIONABLE FOR DALLAS

There is some uncertainty on whether a foot injury will keep Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin on the sidelines for Sunday’s home tilt against the Dallas Stars. Sedin who led the team last year with 31 goals and had 82 points was injured when struck with a puck in Wednesday’s 7-1 home win against the Montreal Canadiens.. “It’s a little sore today,” Henrik Sedin said about his twin brother’s injury. “He got treatment this morning and left after that.” Daniel who has four points on the season sat out Friday’s practice and a decision won’t be known until Sunday. 

FLYERS HARTNELL AVOIDS SUSPENSION

Another chapter was written last Thursday in the growing rivalry of Pennsylvania between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. With less than a second remaining in a wild affair that the Penguins won 5-4 their defenceman Kris Letang was in the middle of a scrum with Flyers forward Scott Hartnell when controversy arose. After the game Letang who had a bandaged ring finger was emphatic in claiming that Hartnell bit his ring finger. Due to no evidence being found and the officials not seeing anything Hartnell who denies biting Letang has avoided any suspension. “It sets up the whole season,” Letang said. “We have (five) more games to play against them and we know they’re about doing stupid things like that at the end of the game.”