Red Wings break out of three-game skid
DETROIT -- Frans Nielsen scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the New York Rangers on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Andreas Athanasiou and Henrik Zetterberg scored in regulation for Detroit, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jimmy Howard stopped 37 shots and thwarted Mats Zuccarello, Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Shattenkirk in the shootout.
David Desharnais and Vinni Lettieri, with his first career goal in his first NHL game, scored for New York. Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves.
Howard stopped defenseman Brady Skjei on a penalty shot with 2:38 left in overtime.
Zetterberg tied the score at 2 just 7:05 into the third period when he put in his own rebound to capitalize on a New York turnover in its own zone. It was Zetterberg's sixth goal of the season.
Lettieri gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead 2:35 into the third period with his first goal. He scored from the slot after taking a pass from Boo Nieves off a Red Wings turnover in the defensive zone.
Lettieri was called up from AHL Hartford on Thursday to replace forward Chris Kreider, who sat out his first game after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right arm. Kreider is out indefinitely.
Athanasiou tied the score 1-1 for the Red Wings 7:46 into the second period when he caught up to an aerial lead pass from center Dylan Larkin after it hit the ice and beat Lundqvist with a one-time forehand shot from the inside edge of the left circle.
It was Athanasiou's sixth goal of the season and first in 16 games.
New York center Paul Carey hit the goal post 2:30 into the second period.
Lundqvist made an outstanding pad save on Athanasiou's one timer from below the left circle off a cross-crease pass from Larkin with 6:03 left in the second period.
Desharnais gave New York a 1-0 lead with 2:25 left in the first period when he scored from in front one a one-timer off a pass from left winger Jimmy Vesey, who was behind the net.
NOTES: Vinnie Lettieri is the grandson of former NHL player, coach and general manager Lou Nanne. ... Detroit RW Anthony Mantha did not play because of an undisclosed injury. He was replaced in the lineup by LW David Booth. ... New York D Brendan Smith formerly played for the Red Wings. ... Rangers RW Jasper Fast missed his third game with a quad strain.