Most complete game of season leads to shutout win

Two players who hadn’t scored in a while and a goalie who hadn’t played in quite some time combined to lead the Detroit Red Wings in what may very well have been their most complete game of the NHL season, a stellar 4-0 shutout of the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday in Edmonton. “I think one of the better games since I’ve been here,… second-year Wings center Frans Nielsen told RedWings.com. “It was 60 minutes. It was very few mistakes. We got pucks deep, we were good on the forechecks. It was a very simple, solid road game. “Hopefully we learn some stuff from tonight and we can see that when we don’t make those mistakes in the neutral zone and turn pucks over, when we play a more simple game and try to outwork the opponents, we can be a really tough team to play against. We’ve got a lot of skill here, so once the opportunity comes, we can take advantage of that.… Milestone Man Playing in his 700th NHL game, Nielsen opened the scoring when he extended his stick one-handed and redirected a Nick Jensen point shot in for his first goal since Oct. 26. “I didn’t even know it went in there,… Nielsen said. “I guess you can call it lucky.… Luck had nothing to do with the 33-year-old veteran’s run to 700 NHL games. “Time definitely flies,… Nielsen said. “I can’t believe I got so far. It’s an honor to play in this league every time you step on the ice out there. “I’m really honored and I’m proud to have played so many games in this league.… About Frk-ing Time Right-winger Martin Frk also scored, his first tally since Oct. 12. “Marty has been playing much better here the last couple games,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “We’ve given him a little bit more ice time and I think he’s earned it and is playing better. “He’s a dangerous player and at times we haven’t had enough dangerous players out there, so I think it was great for him to score.… Petr Perfect Making his first start since Oct. 20, Petr Mrazek stopped 36 shots for his first shutout of the season. “I think what I learned from last year is when you haven’t played for a while you have to work hard and keep doing what you’re doing,… Mrazek said. “If you work hard in practice, you stay in the game.… The Wings felt Mrazek set the tone for the game with his early work. “I think he was dialed in from the start,… Detroit forward Anthony Mantha said. “He wants to better and that’s what he did tonight. “He wants to be seen as a great goalie and tonight was perfect for him.… Go To The Net For the second straight game, Mantha scored a goal from the edge of the opposition goal crease. Going to the net has been Blashill’s mantra to his team, and it is beginning to deliver dividends. “I think it’s just something we’re working on in the past few practices and games, and it’s starting to pay off,… said Mantha, who extended his point streak to four games. Dis-Gus-ed Gus Nyquist also scored for the Wings, but then was lost to the team when he suffered a knee injury. At this point, the club does not believe it is a serious ailment. “I would say right now it’s day to day,… Blashill indicated. “I don’t think it’s a long-term thing but he might not be available tomorrow [at Vancouver].… Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer