DETROIT _ Frans Nielsen secured the Detroit Red Wings a pair of points with a shootout goal.
His marker gave the Wings a 3-2 victory Friday at Little Caesars Arena over the New York Rangers. It was Nielsen's 21st game-deciding shootout goal.
Henrik Zetterberg tied the game in the third period. The power play, which went 0 for 5 in the previous game, didn't look good through three opportunities spread out over the first two periods. The Wings got a fourth opportunity with 3:29 to play in regulation when ex-teammate Brendan Smith was called for illegal check to the head (of Gustav Nyquist). A fifth opportunity arose with 1:20 left in regulation.
The Wings had a 6-1 edge in shots after 10 minutes, with Gustav Nyquist firing at point-blank range during a power play, and Dylan Larkin sending a wrist shot at Henrik Lundqvist from the right circle on another chance. After Trevor Daley's slashing penalty at 11:06, though, the Wings didn't get any more shots on net during the first period, and ended up being outshot, 9-7.
The Rangers grabbed a 1-0 lead at 17:35 when David Desharnais pounced on a loose puck after Jimmy Vesey wrapped the puck around the net and fired the puck into the paint. Vinni Lettieri made it 2-1 at 2:35 of the third period, notching a goal in his first career NHL game.
Andreas Athanasiou scored at 7:46 of the second period when he beat Rangers defenseman Nick Holden to a puck and fired a shot that went over Lundqvist's left shoulder. It was Athanasiou's sixth goal of the season and first since Nov. 19. Larkin picked up his 26th assist of the season on the play. Larkin almost scored with about six minutes to play in the period when he fired a close-range puck high, but Lundqvist caught the puck. Shots were 18-18 after two periods.
Zetterberg scored at 7:05 of the third period, carrying the puck to the slot and firing a shot that Lundqvist stopped. Zetterberg swiped at the rebound as he tripped over Lundqvist, notching goal number seven of the season.
