2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs Blog - Conference Semifinals

For all the superstar talent that envelops their dressing room, when it comes playoff time, one Detroit Red Wing stands above the crowd:

Right-winger Johan Franzen.

The man they call "The Mule" turns into a thoroughbred during the post-season, and he’s a big reason why the Wings find themselves deadlocked 2-2 with the Anaheim Ducks in their Western Conference semifinal series heading into Game 5 Sunday at Joe Louis Arena.

Franzen scored twice in Detroit’s 6-3 Game 4 victory, adding another chapter to his growing Stanley Cup legacy.

He has four goals with two assists in this series, and is fourth in playoff scoring with 12 points.

Eight of his 23 Stanley Cup goals have been game-winners and he’s scored 19 in his last 24 playoff games.

“He gets into a zone when the playoffs come around,” Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “He’s been scoring some real big goals. When we really need a goal, he’s scoring a lot of goals, he’s sort of our go-to guy in pressure situations.”

Teammate Dan Cleary took the Franzen praise one step further. “He’s got to be one of the best five forwards right now in the world,” Cleary said.

Getz going?

Meanwhile, at the other end of the rink, there’s concern over the status of Ducks centre Ryan Getzlaf, who shares the playoff scoring lead with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby — each with 16 points.

Getzlaf played just 16 minutes in Anaheim’s Game 4 setback, and less than three in the final frame.

“I was battling a little bit of the flu, so I was a little bit run down, so [Ducks coach] Randy [Carlyle] took the ice time away for a little while,” said Getzlaf, who has one shot on goal in the last two games.

Testy Carlyle

Carlyle grew weary of reporter’s questions regarding his starting goaltender for Game 5. Jonas Hiller was pulled early in the third period of Game 4 after Mikael Samuelsson made it 5-2 Detroit in favour of Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

“You guys better come to the warm-up to see who's going to start,” Carlyle said. “I don't think it's any business of the media to know who starts.”

Even though Giguere has won a Cup, played in two finals and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003, no one was expecting a switch between the posts for Anaheim.

"That's Randy's call, but I would expect it,” Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer said, anticipating they’d go with Hiller.

The Wings were of the same mindset.

“He’ll be back,” Babcock said of Hiller. “And if not, Giggy’s really good, too.

"Hiller’s been fantastic. You can change if you want, but it doesn’t much matter. I don’t think there’s much to pick between those two guys.”

Perhaps he was just teasing, but Carlyle did seem to open the path to a change in net just a crack.

“Giguere has been working diligently, and we felt it would be best to give him an opportunity to sharpen and hone in playoff-type action with it being a three-goal [Detroit] lead,” Carlyle said of his Game 4 decision to change goalies.

“It made sense to do that and give him an opportunity to get his feet underneath him. If we decide to go in that direction, he's not coming in cold,” he said.

Justin time

With Tomas Kopecky out after suffering a head injury in a Game 4 fight with Anaheim’s Francois Beauchemin, rookie left-winger Justin Abdelkader is slated to make his Stanley Cup debut Sunday on Detroit’s fourth line.

“It’s really exciting,” said Abelkader, who scored a team rookie-record 24 goals with Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids this season. “To get called up and thrown right in the lineup, it couldn’t get much better.

“I’m just going to bring energy, finish my checks and play good defensively.”

Babcock made no bones about what he expects Abdelkader to add to the Detroit cause.

“We expect him to get in on the forecheck and run over people,” Babcock said.

Wisniewski skates

Ducks defenceman James Wisniewski, who missed Game 4 after suffering a lung contusion when struck in the chest by a shot from the stick of Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk in Game 3, practiced with the Ducks Saturday.

But there’s still no verdict on whether he’ll be able to go Sunday.

“He's feeling better,” Carlyle said. “It will be a warm-up decision.”

Wisniewski was to be re-evaluated by Anaheim team physicians later Saturday.

“The big test will be how I feel on the ice when I get my heart rate up higher,” Wisniewski said.

Brother act

When Anaheim won the 2007 Stanley Cup, Rob and Scott Niedermayer became the first brothers to win a Cup as teammates since Duane and Brent Sutter with the 1982-83 New York Islanders.

Now they find themselves pursuing the Sutters yet again.

When they suit for Game 5 Sunday at Joe Louis Arena, the Niedermayers will tie Frank and Peter Mahovlich for seventh on the all-time playoff list of games played by brothers as teammates.

Duane and Brent Sutter hold the lead in this category, having played 77 games together, but there’s another tandem in the way of the Niedermayers that could prove more problematic.

Vancouver’s Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, have played 52 Stanley Cup games together and are continuing to add to their totals in this spring’s playoffs.

Top 10: Most Stanley Cup games played by brothers as teammates

1. Brent/Duane Sutter 77
2. Barclay/Bob Plager 65
3. Jimmy/Joe Watson 63
4. Anton/Peter Stastny 62
5. Bobby/Dennis Hull 60
6. Daniel/Henrik Sedin 52*
7. Frank/Peter Mahovlich 49
8. Rob/Scott Niedermayer 48*
9. Bill/Bun Cook 46
10. Gino/Paul Cavallini 44

*Active streaks