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Johan Franzen leaves tonight’s game with “charley horse”

Johan Franzen

Detroit Red Wings center Johan Franzen, of Sweden, warms up before an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, in St. Louis. Franzen hasn’t played since sustaining a knee injury early in the season. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

AP

Detroit’s Johan Franzen left tonight’s game with what the team is calling a “charley horse” after a knee-on-knee collision with Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. If you think that didn’t cause a fracas, you’d be wrong.

Then, after Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik committed a kneeing penalty at 18:17 on Franzen, Orpik and Todd Bertuzzi went at it. Bertuzzi was also assessed an instigator penalty and a 10-minute misconduct. Orpik was giving a game misconduct penalty.

Franzen was apparently hit in the same knee he had repaired last year so Wings coaches are hoping that a charley horse is all that’s wrong with The Mule. You can make up your own equine pun if you feel like it, I’ve done as much as I’ll do tonight.

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock didn’t elaborate further after tonight’s game about the injury, nor did he have an opinion on Orpik’s apparently questionable hit.