Red Wings

[jaadam4]

I wish Ozzie would learn to stay in the freaking net.

[jaadam4]

and I hope we get Hossa signed before the playoffs.

[Drew]

Yeah, that one goal he let in (#2) was annoying.

I thought they already signed Hossa.

[Sharkbait]

Wings up 1-0 after 2

[jaadam4]

Yeah, that one goal he let in (#2) was annoying.

I thought they already signed Hossa.

I wish

[jaadam4]

Hossa has 40 goals this year.. If it comes down to Franz and Hossa, I'd take Hossa.

I dont think we'll get them both. I hope i'm wrong

[Tom]

I'd rather keep Franzen.

[DanO]

We have them both.

GO LIONS "09"

[FCRhodes]

If it comes down to one of the two, I'd take Hossa. Franzen is damn good but seems injury prone to me.

[Rocky Bleier]

...and Hossa has elite talent

[jaadam4]

exactly

[Newbomb Turk]

While the Red Wings received good news on one of their defensemen Wednesday, it's now clear that they will have to start the playoffs without another.

Andreas Lilja said he felt like "the air just got out of me" Wednesday after hearing the results of a brain scan done Monday.

"My brain, I've got a vein up there that still bleeds, and that's why I've got headaches," Lilja said. "I thought it was going to be good news, but it wasn't. The doctor said today it might be a possibility to go in and stitch it up, but that might be a big risk, too. I just have to wait.

"It's very frustrating."

Brian Rafalski, on the other hand, will be back tonight against the Predators after missing four games because of a groin injury.

"He'll get three games under his belt to get up and running," coach Mike Babcock said. "The other thing that's real positive about it is, he had a real good rest."

As for Lilja, Babcock said "you just go like he's not here and ideally you play well enough and long enough that he gets back."

Ideally the Wings would have had Lilja with Jonathan Ericsson as the third pairing in the playoffs, with Nicklas Lidstrom and Rafalski as the top pair and Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart rounding out the top four.

Instead, Babcock said Ericsson will be partnered with Brett Lebda, whose strengths are skating and moving the puck. The one positive to Lilja's absence is that it allowed Ericsson to be called up from Grand Rapids and get in a good stretch of games. The team has been pleased with how he has acquitted himself, and he already has become a regular penalty killer.

Lilja -- who excelled on the penalty kill, especially at blocking shots -- hasn't played since suffering a concussion in a fight with Nashville's Shea Weber on Feb. 28, and at this point he has lost his conditioning. Lilja said all he has been able to do is "sit in the sauna trying to lose weight by sweating it out," because he can't so much as ride a stationary bike until he's free from the headaches.

NOTEBOOK: General manager Ken Holland said he's "staying in touch" with the agent for Johan Franzen but added that "I don't know if anything will happen with him." Holland has made an offer to Franzen, and the sides are attempting to reach an agreement on a new contract before the start of next week's playoffs.

Holland also wants to re-sign Marian Hossa but cannot sign both Franzen and Hossa now due a lack of salary-cap room.

[Greg H]

I would certainly jettison some players to keep Hossa and Franzen (Mr. Samuelsson, I'm looking at you for starters).

[jaadam4]

We'll have to get rid of several players. Sammy is a FA i believe and will likely be gone anywho. Hudler will be another one that if both are signed wont be back. Leino is anther young FA that might find more money elsewhere. That kid is good.

I think it's best to hold off on signing either of them right now. If we signed one of them right now NHL rules state that because of our salary cap we'd have to wait til after the season is over to sign the other (if its even possible) I'd rather not devide the locker room right now.

[froot loops]

Leino is going nowhere