Even after posting an NFL-best score of 12 goals in 11 games, Johan Franzen was struck by a stroke of bad luck. The Detroit Wings forward has been told to rest since May 8 due to a series of headaches which many concurred that it might be a bad case of migraine. The wait is finally over however, as Franzen was given the green light last Friday to play. He is now back with a vengeance and despite being barred from Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals. Franzen managed to play for a little over 16 minutes in the morning and scored three hits. He grimaced as he recalled how his face was hit by Gary Roberts’ arm minutes before they won 3-0.

The Detroit Red Wings have found themselves in familiar territory in the Stanley Cup, as they have qualified to play in the finals for the 23^rd time in their NHL history. They are looking impressive for winning their 11^th championship and have last won the Stanley Cup final way back in 2002. They will be hosting Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit in Game one of the Stanley Cup finals. Detroit coach Mike Babcock is pretty confident of his team’s chances of lifting the cup this season and his only worry for game one is that he will not be able to utilize the services of forward Johan Franzen, who is out with concussions.

The Predators new owners are doing all that they possibly can to keep the young players in their team and are also on the look out for young blood in a bid to rebuild their team. The testimony to this fact can be got from the fact that the Preds have signed a seven year contract with forward Martin Erat, the longest contract in the history of the franchisee. Polie felt that bringing in new and raw talent will augur well for the franchisee and he expects that the young talents will be able to put Nashville and Predators back on the map of glory.

The Philadelphia Flyers defensive line up will be slightly weaker for Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh Penguins due to a swollen left eye injury caused to defenseman Braydon Coburn. He said that he is otherwise fine and will take a decision on what to do next once his swollen eye fully opens up. It is by God’s grace that Coburn has come out of his eye injury without breaking any bones or causing serious damage to the eye. The injury happened when puck hit by Penguins defenseman Sergei spooned of the hockey stick of Malkin and hit Coburn plush on the face. 

Fabian Brunnstrom, a Swedish free agent player who was being watched closely by a handful of NHL teams, has been roped in by Dallas Stars last Friday and news is that he has signed a two year entry level contract with the Stars last Friday. Brunnstrom said that he felt that Dallas was a better accommodative team than Detroit or Montreal and was really amazed with the practice facility as well as the American Airlines Center of the Dallas team. Stars general manager Jackson felt that the introduction of Brunnstrom will boost the prospects of the team next season and it is young players like him that will take the Stars hockey to a new and different level.

The New York Rangers forward Sean Avery was released from the hospital last Sunday where he had been receiving treatment for the spleen injury that he suffered in a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sean’s injury is so severe that he is ruled out for the rest of the NHL games this season. He was immediately admitted to the St. Vincent’s Medical Center shortly after the loss of the Rangers to the Penguins last Saturday night.

There is no hope of Avery playing for the Rangers anymore this season no matter how far the Rangers go in the playoff games. Avery was a winger in the New York Rangers hockey team and was brought into the Rangers squad from Los Angeles in February 2007. He was very dominant in the Ranger’s playoff run last season and had a 17-6-6 record in the games that he played for the Rangers.

Standing proud at five-foot-five, Nathan Gerbe has agreed to a $2.55 million contract and will skip his senior season at Boston College in order to join the Buffalo Sabres. The cheery forward proved critics wrong when they admonished his petite size by scoring a grand total of 68 points throughout 43 games for the Eagles, who were national champs during the previous season. Gerbe, a Michigan resident, is expected to earn at least $850000 annually if he completes all three seasons with flying colors. As if being a finalist for the 2008 Hobey Baker Award, Gerbe is hard at work practicing for the World Hockey Championships in Canada.

The Dallas Stars are currently on top of their game and this was clearly evident from the blitzkrieg of goals that they scored against the San Jose Sharks at the HP Pavilion last Sunday night. Brad Richards made a mockery of the San Jose Sharks defense as the offensive player had three assists and a goal in the NHL Western Conference semifinal, which they lead the Sharks by 2-0.

Star’s Modano said that his team played some brilliant hockey and stuck to their game plan right from the start of the match. He said that the team took advantage of whatever chances that came their way and was happy to see his team win the first two road games against the Sharks. The other goal scorers for the Stars were Michalek and Joe Pavelski and it would be cruel if the efforts of Marty Turco, who made 29 saves, are not mentioned.