Wings Get Ball Rolling in Back-To-Back Wins

Well there's a good way to come back from the Olympics.

Detroit was blessed with two straight games to resume the NHL regular season, and obviously they wanted to get off on the right foot to start their dash to the postseason.  They did exactly that as they decimated the Ottawa Senators 6-1 last night, on the heels of squeaking out a 2-1 OT win over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

With the loss of Henrik Zetterberg for most--if not all of--this season, the Red Wings need someone to step up and deliver, and so far it seems like they've got just the man, or mule, for the job.  Johan Franzen is playing some of the best hockey of his career after returning yet again from concussion symptoms that had been plaguing him over the last couple months.  He really made a statement of intent with a hat trick in Ottawa, almost netting four after ringing the post.  This is the Mule we know and love, and something has obviously clicked Franzen back into Beast mode.  Whatever it is, he needs to bottle it and keep drinking it the rest of the year.

Currently the Wings are standing pat at 8th in the East with 68 points.  They hold a game-in-hand over 7th place Toronto with 71 points, and are even in GP with 9th place Washington with 65 points.  If the Red Wings can keep up this pace, they will slowly inch their way up the standings and into a more comfortable position for the playoffs.

Just please don't let it be a repeat of last year's nail-biting last gasp into the playoffs.  I don't know of my heart can take another one of those.