Updated at 10:00 AM: This morning, MLive’s Ansar Khan focuses on on Lucas Raymond’s first NHL goal, scored in last night’s 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets:
“I had some really nice looks today and especially this time of the game you want to score to help the team,” Raymond said. “Of course, you want to get that first goal. It’s something real special and it’s awesome, a special night.”
Raymond opened the scoring at 6:17 of the third period, taking a pass from Dylan Larkin and wiring a wrist shot over goaltender Joonas Korpisalo’s glove on the short side.
Shortly after that, Raymond side-stepped a check in the neutral zone and made a nice touch pass to Larkin, who set up Tyler Bertuzzi’s goal at 8:53, his fifth of the season, which proved to be the winner.
“Those are a couple of dynamic offensive plays,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “The one thing (Raymond) does pretty consistently is play a complete game. That earns trust and you get minutes. Are there parts of his game that have to get better? A hundred percent. And he knows it, especially moving his feet. He’s a real cerebral player, sometimes he can get caught just thinking his way through the game instead of thinking and moving his feet.
“Him and (fellow rookie Moritz) Seider both have a real good combination of confidence but yet real calm people and real respectful, real good inner drive. They’re not entitled people. I think (Raymond) has got a maturity beyond his years. That’s certainly going to help him as he goes through any upcoming trials and tribulations he’ll face.”
Continued; may it be the first of many goals for Raymond.
Update: There’s more from the Free Press’s Helene St. James…
Raymond is living with Seider, who also serves as Raymond’s chauffeur, because he doesn’t yet have a car. The two mesh well, and there’s no rush for Raymond. He’s in a nice routine at Little Caesars Arena, where if he isn’t on the ice he’s in the workout room strengthening his 5-foot-11, 182-pound frame. It’s how he builds his confidence, too.
“You get your confidence from being prepared and working hard during practices, in the gym,” Raymond said. “It’s something you have to work on daily and keep it on a steady line.”
Raymond has his first goal now, a “moment I’ve been looking forward to.” He didn’t finish the game because when Columbus’ Jack Roslovic checked him, he went to the dressing room to undergo concussion protocol but “I feel good, fortunately. I felt like I got it from the back, hit the boards. Happy I’m OK.”
The Wings have scored at least three goals in each game, and are showing foes that cheap shots won’t be tolerated. When Raymond went down, Bertuzzi went after Roslovic. They have five of a possible six points, and a bit of swagger.
“It’s been amazing,” Raymond said “The energy in the arena and in the group, it’s been awesome. We stick up for each other and we play with energy and we play hard every night. It’s fun to play. The team feels really good.”
And The Athletic’s Max Bultman:
What was striking in the aftermath was how maturely Raymond handled it all. His game ended early after taking a hard hit from behind into the boards (for which Larkin and Bertuzzi rushed to his defense), but there he was, moments after the game ended, in the postgame news conference, talking about his first big milestone, his whirlwind past five weeks and his confidence level three games into his career.
He was happy, to be sure. But he certainly wasn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I think I spoke about him and (fellow rookie Moritz) Seider this way: I think they both have a real good combination of inner confidence but yet real calm people and real respectful and real good inner drive,” Blashill said. “They’re not entitled people but yet they have that confidence, and I think that’s important. … I think he’s got a maturity beyond his years for certain, and that’s certainly going to help him as he goes through any upcoming trials and tribulations that he’ll face.”
That last bit is key, because those trials are coming for Raymond. Detroit’s schedule will soon get tougher, other teams are sure to test him physically, and the Red Wings are going to challenge him internally to keep improving, too — Blashill noted Tuesday the importance of Raymond moving his feet more, not getting stuck thinking the game without skating.
All of that still looms for him.
But on the night of his first real big moment in the NHL, Raymond did not seem the type to get lost in the moment.
