Raymond, the beloved player, secured the decisive overtime victory on Friday night as the Detroit Red Wings narrowly triumphed over the Nashville Predators with a 5-4 score. This marked Raymond’s first goal in eight games, breaking a recent scoring drought. The timing couldn’t have been better, considering his struggle to find the back of the net in the preceding ten games, where he managed only one goal and three assists. With this goal, Raymond has now accumulated 11 goals and 27 points in 36 games this season, maintaining an average ice time of over 17 minutes per night. Notably, he upholds a commendable Corsi For Percentage of 50.2 in even-strength situations.
While neither the players nor the coaching staff openly acknowledged the late December game as a ‘must-win,’ the pressure was palpable for the Detroit Red Wings. Struggling with a 2-8-1 record in their last 11 contests, the team, which once held the second seed in the Atlantic Division, had slipped to fifth place. Despite the challenging stretch, there’s a silver lining as they are just three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third spot, although the Leafs have three games in hand. Furthermore, the Red Wings are a mere point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the fourth position, and both teams have played 36 games each.
The Detroit Red Wings get a much-needed two points on Friday evening.
The Detroit Red Wings trailed in the third period, but head coach Derek Lalonde stressed how crucial it was for the team to rally and win. Lalonde added that he was dissatisfied with Detroit’s poor performance late in the second period, which resulted in two “bad” goals given to the Predators to take a lead into the third period.
“We definitely required the victory,” expressed coach Derek Lalonde. “It marks a positive development. I appreciate the fact that we managed to secure two full points when trailing entering the third period, a scenario not frequently encountered in our league.
“Nevertheless, there are areas where we must continue to improve, and it’s disheartening. Our performance in the initial 32 minutes and the final eight minutes of the second period is disappointing. It has become a recurring pattern for us lately, where we display commendable and responsible hockey for most of the game, only to concede two easy goals in the closing minutes and find ourselves trailing entering the third period. Despite these setbacks, I credit our players, especially considering recent challenges, for their resilience and ability to compete and ultimately succeed in the third period. While it’s a positive outcome, we acknowledge the need to take further strides forward.”
Alex Lyon, who had been out for a while due to an upper-body ailment, gave the Detroit Red Wings a lift in goal. Despite conceding four goals, he turned out to be a far more dependable choice in goal than Michael Hutchinson or James Reimer. Lyon came back and made 33 saves.
“He displayed assurance,” Lalonde remarked. “There’s a composed demeanor about him. His handling of the puck was impressive, and his competitive spirit was excellent. There’s no criticism for any of the goals. It was truly a commendable victory for him.”
The Detroit Red Wings scored two beautiful goals courtesy of defenseman Jake Walman, who also contributed with an assist.
Alex DeBrincat joined in the excitement, contributing a goal and two assists, and even engaged in an unusual fight. The scuffle occurred in the second period after a commotion in front of the Nashville goal, prompting DeBrincat to exchange punches with Preds captain Roman Josi. While not a particularly intense bout, DeBrincat managed to land a few punches and ultimately pinned Josi down. Patrick Kane provided assistance with two assists, and Dylan Larkin kicked off the scoring with a short-handed goal. The Red Wings’ next challenge is a matchup against the formidable Boston Bruins on New Year’s Eve in Detroit.