While the kid line of Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Teemu Pulkkinen gave the Pittsburgh Penguins headaches during Thursday’s 6-1 pre-season win at Joe Louis Arena, the good news Friday was that playing against the Penguins did not give Detroit forward Johan Franzen a headache.

Seeing his first action since suffering a concussion in a Jan. 6 game last season at Edmonton, Franzen reported no ill effects from his first game appearance in eight months.

“Yeah, it felt good,” Franzen said. “I wasn’t afraid to go anywhere, like in the corners. I didn’t think about my head.

“It was a good test, mostly for my physique, my legs. It’s good to have that first game (out of the way).”

Franzen, 35, felt no concussion symptoms the day following the performance, and will get right back to work Saturday as the Wings play host to the Boston Bruins in another pre-season tilt and he’s looking forward to getting back into the routine of being a hockey player.

“Yeah, it is,” he said. “It was fun to be back playing. I felt a little bit better than I thought I was going to feel.

“It was a little tough, the last five (minutes) in the first, I had a little bit of battling. That’s the part you’re not used to, the battling.

“It’s so much harder than skating around and doing stops and starts. All the battling, that’s what I’ve got to get used to.”

As a team, the Wings will be happy to get used to having the big-body presence and goal-scoring touch of Franzen available to them again on a regular basis.

“We couldn’t be happier,” Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “Just for him to get out there again and play a game and afterwards feel good, it’s great.

“Now he’s back at practice and looking forward to another game. It really is great to see.”

Franzen skated on a line with Riley Sheahan and Luke Glendening. He had one shot and one hit and drew an assist on a power-play goal by Larkin.

“I thought Johan did a really good job,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “I thought he was skating really good.

“I know he’s worked really hard to get himself in real good shape. He was one of the first guys here in the summer and I know he’s worked extremely hard and I thought he played that way last night.

“I thought it was a good line with him and (Sheahan) and Glendening. They kind of complemented each other and took the puck to the net in the second when they scored. I thought he did a real good job.”

Blashill admitted that trio was one that could possibly find itself as a unit when the regular season gets underway in two week’s time.

“Yeah, that’s why we kind of experimented with it, as a potential line come the regular season,” Blashill said. “Obviously lots can change, how guys play. We just want to see different combinations, so (Franzen will) be on a different combination (Saturday). We’ll have him in the lineup, with a different group. But that’s one we talked about as a potential line come opening night, those three guys together, but we’ll have to continue to evaluate.”

Injury Updates
Defenseman Xavier Ouellet (upper body) was joined by defenseman Mike Green and Pulkkinen as players who were nursing minor ailments following Thursday’s win.

On the flip side, forward Dan Cleary has recovered from a lower-body issue and is slated to make his first appearance of the pre-season Saturday against the Bruins.

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