Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård may be more known for his hard-nosed approach to the game, but he gave Red Wings fans a demonstration of his offensive abilities as well on Thursday night.
He sniped a shot from the face-off circle while the Red Wings enjoyed a first period man-advantage, beating goaltender Alexandar Georgiev cleanly and looking like a 30-goal scorer in the process.
While his shooting abilities may be a more sneaky element of his game, head coach Todd McLellan explained that from what he’s seen, Brandsegg-Nygård has always been ready to fire away when he gets the puck from a teammate.
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“The information I’ve received is that he’s a hell of a shooter, and I watched the one playoff game in Grand Rapids last year and I thought he set himself up to shoot all the time,” McLellan said after Detroit’s 5-2 win over Buffalo. “If someone gets him the puck, he’s ready to shoot. I think it’s a big part of his game, he has that heaviness and all those other things but for me, the shot isn’t a surprise. I’ve been told it and I’ve witnessed it.”
Brandsegg-Nygård himself is adapting to the North American-style of play on the smaller ice surface, having spent last season with Skellefteå AIK.
“I’m just trying to show that I’m willing to play hard to play here, and I know the hockey in the NHL is pretty hard, so trying to get used to that and use my body as much as possible,” Brandsegg-Nygård said.
Red Wings Improve To 2-0 In Pre-Season Play With Dominating Win Over Sabres
While it may have only been the second pre-season game, the Detroit Red Wings played as if they were in mid-season form took control over the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena, handily winning not only on the scoreboard but on the shot counter.
Emmitt Finnie, who scored twice during Detroit’s pre-season opening victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, nearly had himself his third goal in two games, but his backhand attempt was stopped by Georgiev with only an inch to spare on the goal line.
He spent Thursday’s game playing on Detroit’s top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and according to McLellan, he looked the part.
“We’ve talked about him a lot lately, my opinion hasn’t changed – I thought he was a factor,” McLellan said. “Both sides of the puck, his pace fit well with Larkin and Raymond. He’s a pretty trusting player – it’s not just about trying to go out and score a goal, he plays the game with an awareness of what’s going on around him, very mature. It was a good night for him.”
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