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NEW YORK -- Frans Nielsen is glad to have his first game against the New York Islanders since leaving as a free agent last summer behind him.There was some nerves, Nielsen said Sunday night after assisting on a goal in the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 overtime victory over the Islanders. Ive been looking at the schedule for a long time waiting for this game. Feels like now that its done, I can move on.The 32-year-old Danish center was drafted by the Islanders in the third round in 2002, No. 87 overall, and had 119 goals and 230 assists over 10 seasons in New York before signing a six-year, $31.5-milion deal with Detroit.There were about a dozen signs held by fans near the ice welcoming Nielsen back during warmups and he received some applause from the crowd when his name was called during the announcement of the Red Wings starters. Nielsen also got an ovation during a video tribute about eight minutes into the first period.It was awesome, he said. I had been here so long. So many people in this organization mean so much to me. I was happy about that.Nielsen knew this wasnt going to be just another game.Theres going to be some butterflies for me and some nerves, Nielsen said when he met with reporters about three hours before the game. Hopefully it just gonna take a couple of shifts and I can relax and play my game.Nielsen, one of three players to leave the Islanders in free agency along with Matt Martin (Toronto) and Kyle Okposo (Buffalo), says he wasnt looking to go elsewhere, but began exploring other options when talks with the Islanders stalled.It wasnt an easy decision, said Nielsen, who was the longest tenured Islander at the time of his departure. I dont have anything bad to say about anything here. It dragged out for some reason and got to a point where I got a chance to talk to other teams and kind of realized it might be fun to get a new challenge and try something new.So what does he cherish most about his time in New York?A lot, from playing the first game to scoring the first goal, Nielsen said. The first playoff series I was in against Pittsburgh (in 2013). The (Nassau) Coliseum, just how loud it was. I dont think Im going to experience that again. To winning a round last year. All the friendships, all the people you met not only with hockey, but away from the rink. ... One-third of my life I lived here, so lot of stuff you miss about (not) being here, too.Nielsen said it felt `weird flying into town Saturday night after Detroits loss at Pittsburgh, and then staying in a hotel nearby. When he arrived at the arena, he saw former teammate Johnny Boychuk by the players entrance and jumped in his car for the `two-minute ride down to the parking level.The Red Wings were in the market for a new center after former star Pavel Datsyuk decided to end his NHL career and return to Russia. Nielsen has fit right in with his new team, totaling six goals and nine assists in 26 games.I love him, Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. Hes got inner drive to be great. Hes selfless, he does what it takes to win for the team. Hes an all-around player who plays in most situations for us, penalty kills, power plays, can go up against other teams best players. ... Hes got lots of experience, hes a leader-type person. Theres no question he brings a presence just by with the way he handles himself and the type of teammate he is. With the Red Wings remaining in town overnight before flying out to Winnipeg on Monday, Nielsen expected to spend time with some of his former teammates after the game.The friendship you build up with all these people over the years, Nielsen said. We had some really tough times and a lot of the guys went through the tough times here where we werent winning. Just going from that to building a competitive team, you just build a special bond when you go through that.---Follow Vin Cherwoo at www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP Nikolaj Ehlers Jets Jersey . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. Blake Wheeler Jets Jersey . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. http://www.jetsauthentic.com/authentic-jack-roslovic-jets-jersey/ . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. Josh Morrissey Jets Jersey . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Bryan Little Jets Jersey . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. There was a rare moment of unity in the boxing business at the end of Saturdays fight in Las Vegas when all three judges agreed on the score and both boxers demanded a rematch.Andre Ward won three light-heavyweight world title belts from Sergey Krusher Kovalev, but in his long battle for the hearts and pockets of boxing fans it is probably still a close fight. Ward is brilliant, a master in the boxing arts and has never received the respect his skills demand from the boxing public. He is not always slick on the eye, seldom gets a knockout in big fights and is just too darned nice.Ward survived a clean knockdown in round two when Kovalev found a rare hole in the Californian boxers brilliant defence; Ward went down heavy, smiled and jumped up quick. I smiled to say, OK, now the fight can start, said Ward.It was a fight of two very separate parts, seemingly divided equally between the two boxers; Kovalev won the first half and Ward the last six rounds. At the end the three identical scores of 114-113 were in Wards favour, he had swept rounds seven through twelve.Kovalev was desolate: I lost maybe three rounds. I want the rematch. Ward maintained his calm, his battered face a bruised accompaniment to his low-key victory speech: I had to get dirty to win and I did. I would have a rematch, sure.It is rare in a fight that divides ringside and television opinion for the judges to totally agree. It is odd, given the fact that only one point separated the pair, that people are screaming and hollering about a robbery. It was close, hard and Ward probably just deserved it. Kovalev certainly faded after six, a victim of the pace he set, Wards wrestling and possibly the years of shrinking his big body into the light-heavyweight limmit have now become a real drain.ddddddddddddWard was in trouble in the first, down in the second and struggling in the first half of the fight. It has been a long time since Ward had a test in front of him, a long time since he dominated at super-middleweight with masterclasses against the divisions best Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham. He has been inactive, unimpressive and should have probably taken a hard warm-up instead of Kovalev, who had made the light-heavyweight division his personal playground since 2013.Kovalev and his promoter, Kathy Duva, went long into the night moaning about the mix of judges, the referee, some undisclosed issues Kovalev had, Wards holding. It was a familiar worn list from the lips of most first-time losers; if one of the judges had scored it wide in Wards favour their claims would have some validity. A rematch makes sense.Ward and Virgil Hunter, the man who has guided him for decades, praised the right people, complimented the deserving and slipped away. Ward made no bold claims about how clearly he had won the struggle. Its professional boxing, its not always going to be cute. I got up off the canvas and won ugly, said Ward. A rematch will mean big money, even more than the five million Ward was paid. Kovalev walked away with two million dollars. Both their reputations improved.They will probably do it again and when it happens Ward will be in better fight condition and Kovalev will know not to slip into Wards clutches. If they are both going to be better, it makes their second fight a genuine modern classic. It will still be tight, trust me. ' ' '