Raymond Named Third Star as Sweden Drops Opener
A two-point performance for Lucas Raymond wasn't enough to get Sweden a win in their 4 Nations opener, but it may very well be enough to move him up the line up
On Wednesday evening, the 4 Nations Face-Off started with a bang as Canada knocked off Sweden for a 4–3 overtime victory on the strength of a Mitch Marner game-winning goal. Canada dominated the early stages of the game, but the Swedes mounted a comeback in no small part because of the efforts of budding Red Wings superstar Lucas Raymond.
The Canadians took a 2–0 lead after the first, outshooting Sweden 7–3. Midway through the second, Raymond—with his industriousness down low in the offensive zone—picked up an assist on the Jonas Brodin goal that got Sweden on the board. However, Mark Stone answered that goal late in the period to send Canada into the second intermission with a 3–1 lead.
Trending Red Wings Stories
After Adrian Kempe cut it to 3–2 early in the second, Raymond picked up his second assist of the night on Sweden's equalizing goal just before the third's nine minute mark. It was an outstanding set-up from Raymond, faking shot as he cut across the high slot before slipping a pass against the grain for Jesper Bratt who sent the puck on for Joel Eriksson Ek to complete the tic-tac-toe sequence.
The two-point night helped earn Raymond third star of the night honors, but he also showed the two-way instincts that have stood out in his game throughout the last two seasons. He occupied responsible defensive positions to clean up messes, he hunted pucks in all three zones, and when you put it all together, it was hard to argue against the idea that Raymond was the Swedes' best player.
Raymond finished the night at just shy of 18 minutes' worth of ice time, and given what he did with it, it's hard to imagine that number won't climb by Sweden's next game against Finland Saturday.
Beyond Raymond's individual performance, the resounding takeaway from the 4 Nations opener was something resembling awe at the pace and intensity. Per The Score's John Matisz, Canadian defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup champion Drew Doughty said after the game that Canada-Sweden was the fastest-paced game he'd ever played in. If there was any lingering doubt as to how much intensity players would bring to this tournament, that doubt was resolved in a hurry last night.
The three-on-three overtime period was a remarkable spectacle, eventually resolved when Sidney Crosby dropped a pass for Marner, who raced onto it and into the offensive zone, before wiring home the winner.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites.