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Lucas Raymond Has Strong Words After Red Wings Suffer Brutal Loss
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- Lucas Raymond Has Strong Words After Red Wings Suffer Brutal Loss
The Detroit Red Wingsappeared to have Saturday's game against the St. Louis Blues under control. Instead, they suffered a stunning third-period collapse that left star forward Lucas Raymondquestioning his team's performance.
Detroit surrendered three unanswered goals in just 4:38, turning a 4-2 lead into a heartbreaking 5-4 loss at Little Caesars Arena.
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And afterward, Raymond didn't attempt to sugarcoat what happened.
Oct 22, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) battles with Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond (23) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Lucas Raymond Says Red Wings Fell Short of Their Standards
Raymond, who finished with a goal and an assist, made it clear that Detroit's performance during the final period was unacceptable.
"I don't know how to explain it, but I thought that was far from our standard that we want to play," Raymond said following Saturday's loss . "What we've worked really hard to get to as a team as well. So yeah, far from good enough."
That's a pretty damning assessment from one of Detroit's most important offensive players.
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The Red Wings had controlled much of the afternoon, holding St. Louis to just nine shots through the first two periods.
But after Emmitt Finnie's power-play goal gave Detroit a 4-2 advantage early in the third, everything unraveled.
Pavel Buchnevich cut the lead to one before Justin Barron and Aleksanteri Kaskimäki scored just 18 seconds apart to complete the comeback.
Raymond understood that Detroit had no business letting that happen.
"We have a two-goal lead in the third period at home," Raymond said . "We should be able to close that game out."
Raymond's Strong Performance Goes to Waste
Perhaps the most frustrating part of Saturday's loss was that Raymond was once again producing offensively.
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His second-period goal was his fifth in six games, and he later assisted on Finnie's power-play tally.
Raymond is playing some of his best hockey of the season, but his individual success meant very little after Detroit failed to finish the job.
Todd McLellan Has Delivered the Same Message
Just two days earlier, the Red Wings delivered an impressive 4-1 victory over Chicago, highlighted by Viktor Arvidsson's four-point performance.
As we reported following that victory , Todd McLellan praised the competitive mentality Arvidsson has brought to the lineup.
Saturday was a reminder that Detroit needs that same attention to detail from its entire roster for a full 60 minutes.
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McLellan has repeatedly emphasized the importance of defensive structure, including when he challenged his players following an earlier loss to Seattle .
Now, Raymond is delivering a similar message from inside the locker room.
Detroit fell to 6-5-3 with Saturday's defeat and will look to respond Monday against the Florida Panthers.
Raymond is doing his part offensively. But his comments make one thing clear: If the Red Wings want to become a legitimate playoff contender, performances like Saturday's cannot become acceptable.
