Who the heck is Johan Franzen and where did he come from? Affectionately nicknamed "The Mule", Franzen is a Swedish born player who was drafted by Detroit in the 3rd round of the 2004 NHL draft. The center has literally come out of nowhere to be a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe this year while helping the Detroit Red Wings to a round 2 sweep of the Colorado Avs.
Franzen has been absolute dynamite in this postseason. He has 2 hat-tricks in the last 3 games and has set a new Red Wings record by scoring 11 goals in this year's playoffs. The amazing thing is, he could still have 2 more series to go!
Did I forget to mention that he also set an NHL another club record by scoring 9 goals in a single playoff series, shattering Gordie Howe's previous record of 7. Only thing is, Howe needed 7 games to make his mark while Franzen just needed 4. Were the Avs really that bad, or is Detroit that good?
Love them or hate them, you have to take your hat off to the Wings organization. They sure know how to pick up talent in the later rounds of the draft.
Deep Purple