ST. LOUIS -- Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen didn't look like someone coming off major knee surgery and playing his first game in four months.

He had jump in his legs, he had zip in his shot and he didn't hesitate to get involved physically during

on Tuesday night.

"When you only played (three) games all year, I didn't even know if he'd get through the game, so I was thrilled with that,'' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Good for him.''

Said Franzen: "Felt like the last game I played. I felt good.''

Franzen, who tore his left anterior cruciate ligament Oct. 8, had four shots on goal and didn't shy from contact. He nearly deposited David Backes into the Blues bench with a check in the first period and delivered an open-ice hit on Alexander Steen in the second period.

"I tried to get into that as quickly as possible,'' Franzen said. "I have to play that way to play good.''

Franzen started the game on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Dan Cleary. Babcock moved Franzen to the top line, with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, in the third period. Franzen assisted on Datsyuk's goal.

"I thought he looked great for not having played for four months. He looked real solid,'' Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He didn't look like he was tired, either. Looked like he had jump in his legs the whole 60 minutes.

"It's going to help us on the first two lines -- you have different options. If we want, we can split Hank and Pav up as well. It gives us another dimension up front with another big body.''

Franzen faces a bigger test in his next two games, Thursday and Saturday, before the Olympic break.

"I thought it was going to be worse today so, hopefully, it'll feel good the next game,'' Franzen said.

Olympics still possible for Franzen

Swedish Olympic coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson has contacted Franzen to determine how he feels in case he needs to replace an injured player. Peter Forsberg might pull out of the Olympics. And now, Tomas Holmstrom's status is uncertain because of a bruised knee.

"I am going to call him after the games (this week) and tell him how I am feeling,'' Franzen said.

Franzen said Gustafsson did not indicate whether he would be the coach's first choice as a replacement, although that seems logical.

"He didn't say that, but he's trying to decide if he should put me on the (replacement) list or not,'' Franzen said.

Franzen said he is not sure if three games will prepare him for the Olympics. But he said he has no hard feelings about not being originally selected for the team or about Swedish team officials' assertions that the Red Wings were rushing him back too soon.

Kronwall sits again

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall (left knee) missed his third consecutive game. He expects to return Thursday against San Jose.