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Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen figures he’s finally past the illness that has plagued him over the past few weeks and expects to play Friday at Joe Louis Arena against the New York Islanders.
“Yeah, I think so,” Franzen said. “I feel healthier. I think its run its course.”
Franzen finally took a break for a few days this week to allow his body time to recover and recuperate after fighting a losing battle against a big that wouldn’t stop bugging him.
“I’ve been under the weather for three weeks or so,” Franzen said. “I think my body shut down for a few days.
“I’ve just been battling flus, stomach flus, regular flus, for the last few weeks. I just haven’t been able to get healthy. At the beginning of this week I just felt really, really awful, like no energy, nothing.
“Enough was enough. I just needed to get rid of it. Sunday I got really, really sick. Tuesday I tried to skate in the morning skate and I was really shaky. I just was running on empty. Energy wise, it’s been hard for a while.
“I figured I needed a couple days just to get healthy.”
Franzen underwent a battery of tests earlier this week, including one for mumps, and they all came back negative.
“I’ve been feeling better these last couple of days,” Franzen said after skating in Thursday’s practice. “Today, it feels like I’ve been off for five days.”
While Franzen’s sickness might explain his poor plate of late – he hasn’t scored in 12 games and is minus-nine over that span- he's not about to go there.
“You can’t really think like that, like oops I’ve been feeling bad for two weeks,” Franzen said. “You kind of go day by day and then you just realize the last week I’ve been ill for that long.
“It’s nothing you think about when it’s going on.”
Detroit coach Mike Babcock recognizes what a difference a healthy, motivated Franzen can mean to his team.
“Ideally he’ll be energized by tomorrow and he can help us when he’s energized,” Babcock said. “He’s had a bug now for a couple week or whatever. Hopefully he’s through it and can get going.”
He’s OK
Left-winger Justin Abdelkader reported no ill after-effects from his return to action Tuesday after missing seven games due to a partially separated shoulder.
“No, I felt pretty good,” Abdelkader said. “Obviously condition-wise, I got tired fairly quickly.
“It's going to be one of those things where it's going to be sore for a bit but I'll be able to play through it. It's manageable.”
Howe Improved
Red Wings legend Gordie Howe’s health has made such a dramatic turn for the better that it’s possible he will be making a public appearance in his hometown of Saskatoon early in 2015.
“In the last week he’s been walking a little bit, getting stronger, better,” said Detroit pro scout Mark Howe, Gordie’s son. “After a really difficult month, we’re starting to see signs of him getting better.
“We’re pretty encouraged by it.”
The Howe family is scheduled to appear at the Feb. 6 Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner in Saskatoon and if Gordie’s health stays in the positive, it’s anticipated that he will be there as well.
“The Saskatchewan appearance was scheduled more than six months ago,” Mark explained. “It’s a tribute to Gordie. The four kids (Marty, Mark, Murray, Cathy) will be there.”
It’s quite the turnaround from a few weeks ago when it looked as if the long-term prognosis was not at all hopeful.
“A week ago I would have said there’s no way in the world (Gordie could be there),” Mark said. “If he continues to improve, we’ll have to wait and see.”
“We’re hoping and praying. At least now he may have a chance to go. It would be nice for dad because it’s his hometown. It would be great for him, great for the city.”
Howe, 86, who has dementia, suffered a major stroke and several minor strokes in recent weeks. He was also briefly hospitalized for dehydration. Howe was bed bound for six weeks and the situation appeared grim.
“A week ago it wasn’t even part of the discussion,” Mark said of the Saskatoon appearance. “Our discussion was, ‘Is he even going to be around Christmas time?’ A month ago we were just hoping dad was going to pull through.
“It’s been peaks and valleys. Right now we’re at the highest peak since his stroke. We’ve been pretty excited about it.
“He’s starting to eat, walking a little bit, more of a shuffle. It’s the first time since his stroke he’s been able to walk.”
Howe is capable of feeding himself with his left hand and the improvement in Howe’s condition has also led to a significant change in his attitude.
“He’s wanting to get better,” Mark said. “Before he wasn’t eating or drinking. He was disinterested. The speech therapist would come in and he’d close his eyes as if to say ‘I don’t want to do this.’
“Now he’s back in the ball game. Where it will lead to we don’t know, but he’s miles ahead of where he was weeks ago.”
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