Today is a milestone in the career of Detroit Red Wings forward Frans Nielsen, who is appearing in his 700th career game.
Why not make it an even more special occasion by scoring a goal? He did just that, giving the Red Wings an early 1-0 lead against the Edmonton Oilers.
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Nielsen skated with the puck behind the net and fed defenseman Nick Jensen at the point, who immediately took a shot that was headed wide. However, Nielsen tipped the puck perfectly from his position in the faceoff circle. Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot was beaten clean, and Nielsen added another notch to his career in his milestone game. It was his fifth goal of the young season.
Puck's going one way. Frans Nielsen was thinking another.
Perfect tip to get the @DetroitRedWings on the board. #DETvsEDM https://t.co/bxNW5eO8TT
— NHL (@NHL) November 5, 2017
Prior to signing with the Red Wings as a free agent in the summer of 2016, Nielsen had spent the first part of his career as a member of the New York Islanders. A Danish native, he was drafted in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft (87th overall) by the Islanders and made his NHL debut during the 2007-08 NHL Season. His best season with New York came during the 2013-14 season when he scored 25 goals and 33 assists.
Nielsen is also known for being one of the most successful NHL players in the shootout since the overtime tiebreaker was introduced in 2005. Ironically, he scored in the shootout for the Islanders before scoring his official first goal, since shootout goals don’t count toward an individual players statistics.
Nielsen also represented Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and won a silver medal.
