Franzen and Hossa Power Wings, Tie Series With Ducks
May 8, 2009 by Jeanne Dupuis
Filed under Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Playoffs
The Detroit Red Wings can thank Johan Franzen and Marion Hossa for being a huge part of their huge 6-3 victory against the Anaheim Ducks last night. The Western Conference semifinal series is now tied at two games each.
Franzen led the Wings to an early lead by scoring two goals in the first period while Hossa scored twice in just over three minutes to break the 2-2 tie and put Detroit up by one. Franzen added an assist on Hossa’s first goal.
The game marked the first time that we saw a crack in Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller’s pristine veneer. The kid has come up huge for his team throughout the postseason, making 59 saves in the Ducks’ 4-3 triple-overtime win in Game 2 and 45 saves in a 2-1 victory in Game 3. That’s absolutely remarkable! Unfortunately, he was pulled and replaced by Jean-Sebastien Giguere (who, I’m sure, is bitter as hell at being benched this whole time) after allowing five goals in 33 shots on net. His Red Wings counterpart, Chris Osgood, made 25 saves.
Game 5 is Sunday in Detroit, and Game 6 is Tuesday night in Anaheim. I’ll be on the couch, holding my breath. I still think Anaheim can pull off another upset. I just hope Hiller isn’t too rattled by being pulled and can bring back the focus after getting some much-needed rest.
image: TSN
