OT hero Lucas Raymond states that it felt good to help the Detroit Red Wings get back to their winning ways on Friday night.
Despite once again taking the lead and losing it, the Detroit Red Wings secured a crucial two points in the standings with a hard-fought overtime victory against the Nashville Predators at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night. Forward Lucas Raymond emerged as the hero, scoring the decisive goal in the extra session, marking his first goal in eight games.
The Red Wings and Predators traded goals in an exciting regulation
In the initial period, the Red Wings seized an early lead with Dylan Larkin netting a shorthanded goal. Although Filip Forsberg of Nashville swiftly equalized, Detroit gained the edge with defenseman Jake Walman beating Juuse Saros.
Yet, former Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist would tally the first of his two goals on the night in a shorthanded effort early in the 2nd period, followed by another Forsberg goal, putting Detroit in a precarious position.
Alex DeBrincat then capitalized on a pass from J.T. Compher, leveling the score. Walman’s second goal of the game regained Detroit’s lead. However, Nyquist struck once more, capitalizing on a scramble in front of the net.
Overtime arrived swiftly, and Raymond sealed the victory with a precise shot, ending an eight-game scoring drought for him.
OT hero Lucas Raymond helps Detroit get back to ‘winning hockey’
Raymond stopped short of declaring that last night’s victory was a “must-win” for his team but stated that he was glad to get back to winning hockey.
“I wouldn’t say must win but it’s a big win for us,” Raymond said. “We haven’t been playing the way we’ve been wanting to these last couple of games, this last stretch. We know what we’re capable of and we showed it for 25 or something games. It’s up to us to get back to that and start playing winning hockey.
“Today was a step in the right direction. There are things we still want to work on but it’s a step in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Walman stated that the Red Wings are no strangers to experiencing adversity.
“It’s going to happen, stuff like that, games aren’t going to be easy,” said Walman of the adversity. “You have to expect some sort of adversity at some point and it’s good, the guys in the room are ready for that challenge.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Red Wings seized an important two points in the standings with their 5-4 overtime win over the Nashville Predators at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night
- Despite a back-and-forth regulation, Detroit secured the extra point thanks to Lucas Raymond scoring in overtime
- OT hero Lucas Raymond said that it was good for the Detroit Red Wings to get back to playing “winning hockey”
Bottom Line: The start of a new winning streak?
The Red Wings were in dire need of points in the standings before Friday night’s game, having struggled with a concerning skid, losing nine out of their last 11 games. With the hope that the win from last night will ignite a new winning streak, the team aims to propel itself back into contention in the Eastern Conference Standings.
Next up, the Red Wings will face the Boston Bruins at Little Caesars Arena on New Year’s Eve, with puck drop scheduled for an earlier time than usual at 5:00 PM.
