One In, Many Still Out

By Adam W Parks

In his eighth season as the athletic trainer for the Red Wings, Piet Van Zant has had to install a revolving door to the Detroit infirmary. As soon as Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary trickled back, Tomas Holmstrom fell during practice with a broken foot.

Each game I watch I hold my breath after every collision. Every day I search and seek the internet for injury updates. Who is healing well and coming back early. Who has had setbacks. The organization has remained positive. The coach has remained focused. The team has remained just a fair distance away from the playoff picture.

At times like the 4-1 road de-finning of the Sharks, the Wings look like their old selves. Then we see the mistake prone, turnover happy version against a lesser team like the Islanders. I am a realist. I do not expect the Wings to win every game. However I do expect them to fight and be competitive, especially when they are just one point away from knocking the Kings out of the last playoff spot.

Frustrations have been tempered this season, but excuses for poor play are running thin. If the broken Wings can mend and return without any other significant losses, Detroit should, nay better make a run for that fourth seed, as the Blackhawks might already be too far from reach.

Here is a rundown of a few guys on the shelf.

Ericsson Suits Up

Jonathan Ericsson will play tonight for the Carolina game. Not that the Wings necessarily need the additional help against the worst team in the league, but after the turd they laid on Long Island, coach Mike Babcock will take all that he can get.

"Now we get to have the Big E back playing, moving the puck, killing penalties and doing what he does," Babcock said. "He's been practicing a lot. If we didn't think he was ready, he wouldn't be playing."

Ericsson missed 12 games from a nasty bone bruise to his knee. He has been on the ice, but is anxious to get back into game action.

"I’ve been skating now for the last week and a half. It feels good,'' Ericsson said. "When you skate out there, there’s not a lot of game situations. Not a lot of battling, going hard in short spurts, things like that. That’s been the problem since I got back on the ice, small things, quick movements. It’s a real test, the first game I’m playing.''

Doug Janik returns to Grand Rapids to make room for the Big E.

Kronner Skates, Still Unsure of Return

"He can pinpoint the spot where he feels the pain, but everything is normal."

Those were the words from Wings general manager Ken Holland after Niklas Kronwall visited a nerve specialist on Wednesday. Kronwall also had an ultrasound on Tuesday that revealed nothing wrong.

Kronner went down with a sprained MCL back in November 21 when the king of goons, George Laraque, stuck his fat stupid leg out and clipped Nik with a knee-to-knee hit. It's the cheapest play in hockey, and Laraque deserves to experience the pain and frustration that Kronwall has had to face.

A month ago it was believed that Kronner would be back by now, but the pain has not yet deserted him. Holland continued to vent his vexation:

"This is frustrating because we've put him through numerous tests and he's seen numerous doctors and they can't find anything."

Despite skating this morning, his first time on the ice since December 20, he is still feeling discomfort.

Mule Trying To Get Back On His Skates

There is a date for Johan Franzen's return. March 1. There are hopes that he could still make it back before the NHL breaks for the Olympics, but Holland would rather have a fresh Mule for the final leg of the regular season.

"Will he play earlier than that (March 1)? We’ll see," Holland said. “But that gives him 20 or 21 games (to prepare for the playoffs). We’ll have him back for a quarter of the season."

If ready, and Babcock wants/needs him, Franzen could possibly play a few games before the Olympics, but Franzen was not selected to the Swedish roster, so there should not be any pressure for him to rush back.

Peace.