Detroit – It’s not like Lucas Raymond hadn’t been contributing offensively, that’s for sure.
Raymond is the Red Wings’ leader in points (45) and assists (33). But the goal-scoring had hit a bit of a dry spell until Monday’s key second-period goal in the 5-3 victory over Ottawa.
Raymond’s 12th goal restored a two-goal lead for the Wings and was his first even-strength goal since Nov. 29. Including that goal, Raymond had four goals until Monday’s tally and coach Todd McLellan, looking to spark the Wings, split up the Raymond, Dylan Larkin and Emmitt Finnie line before facing the Senators.
The shuffling worked. Raymond scored, and the Raymond, J.T. Compher and James van Riemsdyk line was effective.
But, yes, Raymond got on the scoresheet. As a goal scorer, himself.
“It’s always fun to score, right?” said Raymond, who hasn’t been overly concerned about the lack of goals. “I’ve been producing pretty well. But it’s nice to get a goal.”
There might be potential for more goals if Raymond were to shoot more. It’s an area where Raymond believes he could capitalize on, where he hasn’t always this season.
“I’m probably not where I want to be shot-wise,” said Raymond, who has 91 shots; Alex DeBrincat (152) and Dylan Larkin (123) are significantly higher. “Every game develops differently. But in general, if you look at the top scorers, shot volume is probably a key thing.”
The number of assists, and the volume of playmaking, has come naturally out of the flow this season.
“I’m probably more of a playmaker than a shooter if you’re talking just one or the other,” Raymond said. “If I see a teammate in a better spot, I’d like to get it to him and give him a chance. It’s about picking and choosing a lot of things.”
McLellan feels Raymond scoring Monday could help in a variety of ways, and possibly encouraging Raymond to use what is one of the better shots on the Wings.
“He has such a good shot,” McLellan said. “I believe certain players can score from distance and others have to get quite close to the net. I would put Razor in that distance (category), ability-wise.
“Sometimes he thinks he has to get real close to the net to score and beat one more guy and shoot it. But he used a defenseman (Monday) as a screen, and in his mind, he was shooting that puck the whole time and he changed the shooting angle and in it went.”
McLellan also believes shot volume is a key. But the confidence boost in having scored a goal could invigorate Raymond as well.
“If you’re a top scorer, you’re getting close to 300 shots a year, and it doesn’t matter who it is,” McLellan said. “Cat is on pace for 40 goals and he’s going to have 300 shots based on his totals.
“It (scoring a goal) can’t hurt. He went to a new line and he accepted responsibility for his game and he made that line work. It was an effective line in that game. He scored five-on-five, so all those factors, they don’t hurt anyone’s confidence.
“Razor wasn’t lacking confidence. But it’s nice to get rewarded.”
Danielson decision
The decision to send forward Nate Danielson to Grand Rapids Tuesday was mainly for the opportunity Danielson will have to get substantial playing time with the Griffins, and continue developing his offensive game.
Danielson, 21, had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 28 games with the Wings, but was a healthy scratch in Ottawa and it appeared a reset was needed.
“When Danny was in training camp, he had a hell of a camp,” McLellan said. “We talked about him likely starting with our team coming out of it (camp), and the injury (upper-body) set him back, so he went down there (Grand Rapids) and played (four) games and up he came back. When we brought him back, we hoped things would go real well and that would be fine, but we weren’t sure if he was ready or not.
“We gave him a good run and there’s been some real good nights, and there’s been other nights where they’ve been just OK, which is typical of a young player.”
McLellan wants Danielson to continue to work on his “offensive trajectory” in the AHL.
“We think it’s in him,” McLellan said. “We couldn’t put him in spots right now on our team where he could really push for that. If his confidence in those situations waver, we have to get him to where he can be comfortable and confident. He’ll play a lot of minutes in Grand Rapids and we want him to work on the intensity of the offensive part, so those moments where you really have to win a two-second play, whether you’re mentally or physically done, those two-second plays that offense comes out of it, and a lot of it is the physical part of it, he’ll get that down there.”
Canucks at Red Wings
▶ Faceoff: 7 p.m. Thursday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
▶ TV/radio: FDSN/97.1
▶ Notable: The Wings (25-15-4) entertain Vancouver (16-21-5) for a one-game homestand between trips to Ottawa and Montreal. … The Canucks have a new look, having traded former Michigan D Quinn Hughes last month. … The Canucks are winless in four games. … LW Keifer Sherwood (17 goals) leads offensively.
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