Lucas Raymond’s Scoring Drought: Red Wings Need Him to Find His Shot

Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond is currently producing at an impressive point-per-game pace this season, tallying 67 points in as many games. However, his recent performance has raised some concerns as he’s managed only one goal and one assist in his last seven outings. This slump coincides with a challenging period for the team, which has been without their top two centers, Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp.

Raymond’s offensive prowess is unquestionable, but the Red Wings need more from him, especially as they navigate a crucial stretch in the standings. His ability to be a top scoring threat is vital, and fans are eager to see him break out of this scoring slump.

In a recent game against the Montreal Canadiens, the Red Wings turned in one of their best performances of the season, overcoming a 1-0 deficit in the third period to secure a 3-1 victory. During the first period, Raymond had a prime opportunity to score, maneuvering around a Canadiens defenseman to find himself wide open in the slot. Instead of taking the shot, he opted to pass to David Perron, who was tied up at the side of the net.

Head coach Todd McLellan expressed his desire to see Raymond shoot more, acknowledging that while he would have preferred a shot in that moment, he understands that Raymond’s instincts led him to make a different choice. “The easy answer for me is to say yes. We watched it live… for some reason in that moment, he read something or saw something and chose not to (shoot),” McLellan explained. He emphasized that while he wants to see more shots from Raymond, he won’t criticize him for making a play.

Despite finishing the game with just one shot on goal, Raymond has demonstrated throughout his career that he possesses one of the most elite shooting releases among NHL forwards. As the standings tighten and with Larkin still sidelined due to a lower-body injury, the Red Wings urgently need Raymond to increase his shot volume. McLellan reiterated, “We do need him shooting the puck, because he can fire it.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.