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Have you ever wondered exactly what makes Shan the Man?

Come on, there has to be more to Brendan Shanahan’s game than just a terrific one-timer, right?

While it’s true Shanahan can bury a perfectly placed pass deep into the mesh with the best of them, he’s more than a one-trick pony. The 33-year-old-right-shooting left winger, who ranks seventh all-time in goals by a left winger with 503, remains one of the game’s most effective power forwards. He fights, he hits and he’s no slouch in his own zone.

Here are four attributes that make Shanahan a special player:

■ Competitiveness “I thrive on competition,” said Shanahan, who learned lots from his three older brothers, Danny, 43, Brian, 41, and Shaun, 39. “Anything I can do in my daily life that can be turned into a contest or a game, I do it. Being the youngest brother, I always had to prove myself.”

“He expects to be the best,” Brian said. “Ever since he was five, he excelled at sports.”

Added Red Wings associate coach Barry Smith: “Brendan likes to be pushed, to be challenged. It helps him become more focused.”

■ Shooting “I was never a goalscorer growing up,” Shanahan said. “When I scored 39 goals my last year of junior, it was the most goals I ever had in a season. People talk a lot about my one-timer, but to me it’s more about getting my shot away quickly. Tim Kerr was one of the best at that. He had a fast release and usually caught the goalie before the goalie set up.” Shanahan said when he broke into the NHL someone told him Rick Tocchet took 500 shots a day. “He never stopped a pass to set up the puck, he just shot it as it got to Dan him,” Shanahan said. “He figured you couldn’t always stop the puck in the game, so why do it in practice?” Shanahan followed suit.

■ Toughness On this subject, we defer to one of his former opponents, NHLer-turned-broadcaster Dave Reid. “He gets a lot of respect because he’s one of those players who could snap at any time,” Reid said. “He’s a little like Cam Neely, but not as mean. If you go at him physically, you know you’ll get popped back. That buys him some extra room.”

■ Skating Let’s face it, he doesn’t look pretty, but he gets the job done. “He has deceptive speed,” Smith said. “He actually hides his speed. Some guys go full out all the time. He saves it and then when he wants to go, he surprises people.” To which Shanahan adds: “I’m not a fluid skater…not a pretty skater, but I’ve never felt my skating has hindered me. ■