Interesting Lineup vs Flames

“Even when I’m playing left wing, it can happen that I’m playing down low, too,” Franzen said. “I’m going to skate the same; I’ve just got to maybe look after my forwards a little bit more and make sure that we’ve got a high guy and all that." --Johan Franzen

And why is the Mule saying such things?  Because he's our new second line center.

Down goes Filppula.  A nagging groin injury (thanks, ladies) prevented him from skating for all but 15 minutes of practice today according to the Free Press.

So the lines had to be juggled a bit by Coach Babbles.  Check them out:

Holmstrom-Zetterberg-Bertuzzi

Hudler-Franzen-Eaves

Draper-Helm-Tatar

Miller-Abdelkader-Mursak

 

Lidstrom-Stuart

Kronwall-Salei and

Ericsson-Rafalski

 

Howard (starting)

Osgood

 

So it would appear that an even more depleted lineup will be taking the ice tonight against the Calgary Flames.  And here we were bragging about how deep our organ-i-zation was at the beginning of the season.  And then BOOM:

1. Down goes Modano
2. Down goes Datsyuk
3. Down goes Cleary
4. Down goes Filppula

Anyone else kind of wishing Kirk Maltby had stuck it out in Grand Rapids for the start of this year?  Hopefully, Wally will be back tomorrow against Vancouver.  But in the meantime - let's take care of the Flames tonight.