After the 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, the Wings are not happy at all; however, if it’s not for the reason you think and instead it is with the hit that was taken on Franzen by the Dallas Stars’ defenseman Mark Fistric.  In the first period of the Detroit Red Wings’ game on Thursday, center Johan Franzen suffered a hit and didn’t return to the game.

There were eight minutes left in the game’s first period when the hit came in the corner of the defensive zone of the ice.  Franzen went down hard but did eventually get up and skate off the ice to not return – and no penalty was ever called on this play.  

Franzen has told media outlets, including the Detroit Free Press, that Fristic hit him in the face with his elbow.  While I’m no video reviewer or NHL  official or referee, if you take a slow look at the replay of the play, you can see that Franzen was hit in the face by Fristic.

Franzen is afraid that he has suffered a concussion, but coach Mike Babcock wants him to undergo tests before they officially call it that.  Doctors will look over Franzen sometime today and determine whether it is a concussion or something else.  If he has prognosed with a concussion, this will be his third one on the past four years – he had one in 2006 and another in 2008.

Expect Franzen to be out at least a week but possibly longer depending on the diagnosis that the doctors come up with for the Detroit Red Wing center.  There is a minimum seven day no activity clause that most doctors and teams follow then in order to return to the ice, players must pass a baseline test.  Look at previous players who have suffered concussions – Derek Meech was out only a week with a concussion yet Andreas Lilja, who recently signed with the Anaheim Ducks, was out a year – the recovery time varies as you can see.

Hopefully, Franzen’s injury won’t be too bad because the Wings are already without two other defenseman – one, Brian Rafalski, until the end of the month and the other, Jonathan Ericsson, indefinitely.

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