January 30, 2012
Nielsen ratings
by Adam Wodon/Web Editor
Frans Nielsen (photo: Getty)
Frans Nielsen is not what you'd call a goal scorer. But if you're the other team, there are two situations where you might want to reassess that opinion: when you're on the power play and during a shootout.
Last season, Nielsen, a finalist for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward, helped the Islanders to lead the league in shorthanded goals.
And, recently, Nielsen gave the Islanders two consecutive shootout wins, scoring the decisive goal in each -- both on the same move, a backhand.
"I change it up sometimes, mix it up a bit," Nielsen said. "It's been something I've been doing since growing up (going to the backhand. It's been working for me and I stuck with it. ... You do it a couple times and it works, and you stay with it."
If you think about it, those scoring situations go hand in hand, because when a team is shorthanded, most scoring opportunities will come on a breakaway. Of course, during game play, it's not that simple.
"I've done it a couple times in games," Nielsen said. "Sometimes you come in from a different angle and can't really do it. When the game is on, you can't decide your own angle."
The goals have been more scarce for Nielsen this season, although he says that he and linemate ñ and fellow penalty killer -- Michael Grabner are doing the same things. The lack of shorthanded goals this season has more to do with the law of averages than anything else, he figures.
"They haven't given us any opportunities to create anything," Nielsen said. "And we just stay focused on, 'We gotta kill it.' It's nothing we really think about. You got to be smart about it. Maybe teams know that and are being a little more careful.
ìWe haven't changed anything. We're trying to be aggressive."
But scoring more during 5-on-5 is something that Islanders coach Jack Capuano would like to see out of Nielsen -- and his whole team, for that matter. The Isles sat next to last in the Eastern Conference in early January at 14-17-6, their 2.30 goals per game ahead of only three other teams.
"I think it's just a matter of time," Capuano said. "We still have a lot of hockey. I think he will score some more goals.
"He's one of those players who's so smart, sometimes he's too smart for himself. He's always looking to make that perfect pass instead of getting that puck on net. But I've been happy with his game. He plays in all situations, but if he just gets on the mindset that when gets in those Grade-A areas, that instead of looking off and making that cute play, he gets that puck to the net."
Nielsen was more of a scorer in junior hockey in Sweden, like a lot of NHL players, no matter what role they play now. But then he got a call up to the Swedish elite league.
"I knew I had to work hard at (defense)," Nielsen said. "I played on a third or fourth line. You pretty much had to make sure you didn't get scored on or you wouldn't play. So I learned a lot about it.
ìAt that point, it was one of the most defensive leagues in the world. It's a big trap league. I molded myself after (Henrik) Zetterberg, (Peter) Forsberg, those kinds of guys. They work just as hard without the puck.
"It's a bigger ice. You can't run around. You have to be really smart without the puck. It's a really good league where if you can't play without the puck, you're going to have a tough time."
Capuano said that, no matter the numbers, it's clear Nielsen is among the elite defensive forwards in the NHL.
"I think every year is different," Capuano said. "Last year, he had a career year. This year, we haven't scored a lot of goals, so for all our guys, plus-minuses are off. But if you look at ëFranzie,í he plays against a lot of other teams' top lines and does a real good job.
ìHe's not the biggest guy, but he knows how to angle, he knows how to use his stick and he's a real smart hockey player."
Nielsen is one of just a few NHL players from Denmark. When he was drafted, there were no other Danes in the NHL, and only one previously in the leagueís entire history.
"When I grew up, I wanted to play in the NHL. People would say I was stupid or something," Nielsen said. "When it happened, it was amazing. It's a big deal back home. It's opened up a lot of eyes. The Islanders were not afraid of drafting a player with a Danish passport.
"To see all the talent that's coming over, it's been fun."
Nielsen hopes to be among those blazing the trail for a new generation of Danish players.
"Hopefully, we all are the ones that show the young kids that with hard work, it's possible," Nielsen said. "When I was younger, sometimes you dreamed about (playing in the NHL), but the most realistic thing was to go to Sweden. Now everyone is dreaming about playing over here."
The lockout year of 2004-05 was big for him. He was still in Sweden and got to play that year for Denmark in the World Championships. There were a lot of other NHL players in that tournament -- good ones -- because of the lockout.
"I got a chance to measure up, a chance to see where I stand," Nielsen said. "I knew I'd have a shot if I kept working hard."
The Olympics is a dream. The national team came within a close loss to Norway of qualifying for Vancouver in 2010. The problem is, Nielsen isn't able to play during qualifying because it takes place during the NHL season.
Another dream is to make the playoffs this season and, if things don't get turned around soon for the Islanders, the dream will be a nightmare. Like in the case of many teams outside the playoff picture, Nielsen knows that consistency is the key to turning things around.
"We can play great. We have a week or three games where we don't play good," Nielsen said. "We have to be more consistent to our game, really show up every night. This season has had too many ups and downs and it has to get better.
ìIt's not like we're not trying. You can see the good top teams, like Detroit, they show up every night, play the same way. They know what they've got to do. We can't have those stretches where we don't play good."
Adam Wodon can be reached at awodon@nyhockeyjournal.com.
ISLANDERS NOTES
The Islanders added Ken Morrow to their Hall of Fame during a New Year's Eve game against Edmonton. The defenseman won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, joining the team in time for the first one, right after winning a gold medal for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980. A Bowling Green graduate, Morrow played his entire 10-year NHL career with the Islanders. He was in 550 games, scoring 17 goals and 105 points. He was known for scoring a few big playoff goals, and had 11 goals in just 127 career postseason games, including an OT winner against the Rangers in the deciding game of the first round of the 1984 playoffs. He is currently the team's director of pro scouting. ... With Al Montoya out because of a concussion and Rick DiPietro again on injured reserve, the Islesí three-goalie rotation was reduced to one -- Evgeni Nabakov. Backing up, the Islanders recalled Kevin Poulin and then exchanged him with Anders Nilsson. Nabakov lost eight straight decisions at one point, though he'd played fairly well. The Islanders lead the league in being shut out.
-- ADAM WODON
