Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond has hit a bit of a scoring lull with just two points in his last seven games, which could be remedied by utilizing his elite shot.
While the good news is that Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond has produced at a point-per-game pace this season with 67 points in as many games played, the not-so-good news is that he's hit a bit of a scoring snag.
Raymond has one goal and an assist in his last seven combined games, several of which have been when the Red Wings were missing both Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, their top two centers.
There’s no question about Raymond’s offensive talent, but his recent production hasn’t matched what the Red Wings need from one of their top scoring threats during such a critical point in the standings race.
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On Thursday evening, the Red Wings picked up one of their best wins of the season, rebounding from a 1-0 deficit in the third period against the Montreal Canadiens to earn a 3-1 victory.
Early in the first period, Raymond maneuvered around a Canadiens defenseman and found himself all alone in the slot with a perfect opportunity at a high-danger scoring chance.
Instead, he passed up on the shot and tried to feed the puck to David Perron, who was tied up at the side of the net.
Head coach Todd McLellan, who recently said Raymond’s shot totals are lower than they should be, explained that while he would have liked to see a shot in that situation, he understands that Raymond’s hockey instincts may have led him to pass.
“The easy answer for me is to say yes," McLellan said afterward. "We watched it live… for some reason in that moment, he read something or saw something and chose not to (shoot). Would we like him to shoot? Yes, but I’m not going to crucify the young man because he chose to move the puck over."
“Would I like to see him shoot there? Yes, but he’s playing the game, and his instinct told him to go somewhere with it."
Raymond, who finished the game with a single shot on goal, has shown so far in his career that he possesses one of the more elite releases amongst NHL forwards.
Now more than ever, with the standings ultra-tight and with team captain Dylan Larkin still unavailable because of a lower-body injury he sustained earlier in the month, Detroit needs Raymond to put more pucks on net - because when he does, good things usually follow.
"We do need him shooting the puck, because he can fire it," he said.
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