Despite Strong Game from Lucas Raymond, Red Wings Can’t Snap Losing Skid

Lucas Raymond played with an intensity that tried to end the Red Wings' losing streak. But after a lackluster team game to end it, his impact wasn't enough to beat Arizona in a 4-1 loss.

Lucas Raymond is sick of losing.

The frustration shows in how intense the Red Wings forward has been playing as of late. Trying to end the Red Wings’ worst losing streak since he cracked the NHL roster, Raymond has scored, checked and fought to help his team emerge with a victory. That showed in Thursday night’s game against Arizona, when he scored Detroit’s only goal and tried to spark momentum with a post-whistle scrum. But after a night in which he made a largely positive impact, Raymond and the Red Wings instead skated off mulling a 4-1 loss, their seventh straight.

Much like Detroit, Raymond played an imperfect game. He was on the ice for three goals against, one of which was an empty-netter. Only one was really a play he could have influenced — on the 3-1 goal, he skated behind the net to mark a skater when he could have played the net and fronted the shooter. The others were a product of others’ mistakes. Raymond also might have leaned too much into the intensity at times, trying to push the pace and gun for a goal. But relative to what anyone can expect of a single player, Raymond did about all he could.

Key among his impacts, Raymond’s power play goal was the only time the Red Wings scored all night. In their last two games, they’ve scored four goals. and Raymond has figured into three. His goal against the Coyotes tied him for the team lead at 54 points. At a time when a Dylan Larkin-less Detroit team hasn’t found the net frequently, Raymond has become a crucial source of offense.

“We have not handled our group very well with Dylan out. There’s no reason for that,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said after the game. “He’s a special, special player. He’s our engine a lot of nights, but we have a very capable group. We’re a very capable lineup. Just, I think (there’s) gotta be a little more emphasis on those defensive mistakes.”

Raymond can’t replace Larkin’s stick one-for-one, but he has made an impact. He’s also taken up some leadership for a Detroit team down its captain, specifically through his willingness to get chippy. That showed before the puck even dropped on Thursday’s game. In practice, Raymond and defenseman Ben Chiarot got into a little skirmish during a drill before teammates separated them. Then, they went right back into a drill.

On Thursday, the combatants changed. In the second period, Raymond got into a gloved exchange with Coyotes defenseman Josh Brown after the latter threw Red Wings forward David Perron to the ice. This time with Chiarot by his side in the scrum and then the penalty box, Raymond tried to spark some momentum by his example.

And despite seeing Arizona score three times when he was on the ice, Raymond’s defensive play wasn’t all that bad. He got back with hussle to try and kill plays, not just cherry-picking for offense. All told, he finished the night with a 61.1% Corsi percentage and 70.8% Fenwick, the second-best and best rates on the Red Wings’ roster.

At the end of the game, though, it wasn’t enough to make a difference. Detroit trailed 2-1 until halfway through the third period, but it never converted on a tying goal. Time ran out when the Red Wings made more defensive mistakes, and eventually Arizona built its 4-1 lead.

Raymond scored, he fought, but he couldn’t get Detroit over the hump. And alongside the rest of his teammates, he skated off pondering the longest losing streak of his NHL career.

If Detroit is going to break through its struggles, it will take more performances like Raymond’s to break through. For the larger part of 60 minutes Thursday night, Raymond did his best to will the Red Wings forward, but he can’t make up for the rest of the roster. More than individually sound nights, the Red Wings need an all-around solid performance from everyone to break their streak.

Lucas Raymond wants to finally end the streak, and he made that clear with his performance Thursday night. But after a lackluster team performance cost the game late, he’ll have to wait even longer to change his team’s reality.

"We've Just Lost that Confidence": Red Wings Losing Streak Hits Seven in Home Loss to Coyotes

Shuffled Lines Cast Copp Into New Role as Red Wings Desperately Need Results

How the Red Wings Can Get Back into Playoffs: A Coyotes-Red Wings Game Day Notebook

Red Wings Recall Austin Czarnik Under Emergency Conditions

Prospect Roundup: Simon Edvinsson Developing through Bigger Role in Grand Rapids

Red Wings’ Losses a Product of Poor Defensive Play Catching up with Them