Johan Franzen

[LeighDx59]

Technically Franzen is no longer under contract with the Red Wings as his contract expired today. I know the end of his career was unforunate but what is your favorite memory of the Mule?

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[Roomba With a Bauer]

5 goal game, easy.

edit: 4 goal game against Sharks in the playoffs is up there too.

 

[FabricDetails]

AINEC.

 

[FabricDetails]

I feel pretty sad for how his career ended. Last I checked, he's still struggling with concussion symptoms. I just hope his support system overall is solid.

 

[bert2z]

That time he took Kane's mouth guard was hilarious.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

That time he took Kane's mouth guard was hilarious.

“I know you miss your dad, so I got you these sheets so you’ll always have him close”

to Nyquist.

e: but knowing the shit that Babcock put Franzen through... this actually feels very dark.

 

[Christien]

AINEC.

Pretty tough to beat that. He was a hell of a player

 

[kliq]

The double OT series winner against Calgary was a pretty big one.
But like some have already said, #1 for me is the 4 goals against the Sharks.

 

[Henkka]

Technically Franzen is no longer under contract with the Red Wings as his contract expired today. I know the end of his career was unforunate but what is your favorite memory of the Mule?

Many playoff goals on critical spots.

 

[Oddbob]

His 3 straight awesome playoff runs even if we only ended up with 1 Cup. He was awesome until he got hurt and a big clutch guy for us! The fact that so many wanted to keep Hossa over him, despite him being the much better and more clutch playoff performer for us is truly mind boggling and not deserved.

2008 Playoffs: 13 goals and 5 assists, 18 PTS in 16 GP

2009 Playoffs: 12 goals and 11 assists, 23 PTS in 23 GP

2010 Playoffs: 6 goals and 12 assists, 18 PTS in 12 GP

Those are Top Tier player level performances in 3 straight postseasons!

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

The guy developed the ability to take over a game when he was given the puck. I can't help but wonder how good he would have been if he really took enough time to rest up between those early concussions, and how much of a negative impact having Babcock as a coach had on his overall career and performance.

That being said, I think him taking Patrick Kane's mouthguard and throwing it on the ice was one of the funniest things I ever saw happen in a game.
His hot streak in 2008 where he scored 15 goals in his last 16 games and set the team record for 6 game winners in a month. That was his coming out party. I thought the guy was going to be one of the better defensive forwards in the game, but when he got on that streak and the goals didn't look like flukes I thought that we were going to for sure win the cup that year.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I remember getting so nervous when Bonk scored, thinking that the Wings may very well choke away the entire series after that. Then Franzen scored and that all went away in an instant.



Also him punching Steve Montador was pretty funny.

 

[Ricelund]

 

[Ricelund]

 

[Ricelund]

 

[Kronwalled55]

My first really good memory of Franzen was his OT goal in Game 5 against NSH in 2008. If we don't bring in Osgood and Franzen doesn't score that goal... that year really could have gone differently.

His four goal game against the Sharks was probably my favorite.

 

[PullHard]

I'd say as a grouping of games his peak for me was that series vs the Avalanche, he just seemed impossible to stop

In terms of individual play it was this goal against the Penguins in the Finals that year



He had broken out as a dominant guy to finish off good cycles, bury the dirty goals in around the crease, etc. and also finish off with tap ins or wrist shots on rushes, but I don't recall him doing something like this too often, I didn't view him as the guy who beat multiple players 1on1 on his way to the net. It was like he was saying "I can do anything I want and you all just have to hope I miss" in my mind when I saw it go in. Such a dominant playoff run, he finished with something like 13 goals in 18 games that playoffs. I wish he had had better luck with concussions and that Babcock wasn't a sociopath.

 

[GMR]

Obviously that series against Colorado in 2008.

 

[Retire91]

Was a genuine pleasure to witness him turning on that extra gear. If you look at his overall numbers someone might think meh he was a middling power forward. But if you factor his playoff numbers and saw his beast mode in person it was a whole different story. Hi splay carved him out a spot in the collective memories of all wings fans and I can only hope his concision symptoms get better over time and he has a great retirement.

I got some tickets one game on the glass directly to the right of the goalie and I can tell you first hand he had a nasty streak. I don't know if he was in a bad mood but those subtle interactions player to player between whistles he would usually give someone a shot and if looks could kill. And he was strong as an ox. He created a lot of space for himself.

 

[RedWingzz]

I was at the 5 goal game in Ottawa, whenever I watch the highlights, I feel like that game was last season.

Tough to beat the entire series where he torched the Avs though, that was insane.

 

[ArmChairGM89]

Can’t pick one. He was my favorite player.

 

[PullHard]

I was at the 5 goal game in Ottawa, whenever I watch the highlights, I feel like that game was last season.

Tough to beat the entire series where he torched the Avs though, that was insane.

Me too

And I think he had another 3 or 4 goal game in Ottawa in which he and Neil got tossed? Or is that the same game?

 

[RedWingzz]

Me too

And I think he had another 3 or 4 goal game in Ottawa in which he and Neil got tossed? Or is that the same game?

That was a different game, I was at that one too. He got a hatty that game, Chris Neil tried to be a hero, doing the usual Chris Neil antics.

 

[PullHard]

That was a different game, I was at that one too. He got a hatty that game, Chris Neil tried to be a hero, doing the usual Chris Neil antics.

Classic Neil garbage. That game was headed towards another 4 or 5 goal outing for Franzen.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]