Detroit — Say what you will about the shootout, and whether it’s good or bad for hockey, a great or terrible way to decide an outcome of a game.
But those are important points, and if you have a player who is effective at it, you have an important piece.
Frans Nielsen fits that description aptly.
Nielsen scored the lone shootout goal Friday in the Red Wings’ 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers.
The shootout goal was Nielsen’s 47th in his career — making him the NHL all-time leader — in 94 attempts (50 percent) and it was his 21st game-deciding shootout goal, also an NHL best.