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Lucas Raymond on goal that kept Detroit Red Wings in playoff race: 'I kind of blacked out'
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- Lucas Raymond on goal that kept Detroit Red Wings in playoff race: 'I kind of blacked out'
Lucas Raymond doesn't remember much about the aftermath of the goal that stoked the Detroit Red Wings' playoff hopes.
"I kind of blacked out, to be honest," he said Monday after scoring the tying and winning goals in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena. "There were a lot of guys in there and punches being thrown."
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The Wings pulled off another in-game resuscitation, rallying from a three-goal deficit to win in overtime and continue their push for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Raymond has done so much to make that happen: Just in the past week, he delivered a hat trick that got the Wings a point in Pittsburgh , and then, in the regular-season home finale, he scored with 1:17 left in regulation and 25 seconds left in overtime.
On the winning goal, Shayne Gostisbehere lost his balance and fell as he tried to handle the puck right in front of Detroit's net. Raymond collected the puck and fed it to Larkin. Rushing into Montreal's zone, Larkin on the left, Raymond on the right, Larkin sent the puck cross-ice and Raymond took the shot.
Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) hugs center Dylan Larkin (71) after scoring the winning goal for the Red Wings to beat Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in overtime at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday, April 15, 2024.
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"I just saw Larks up ice, I thought he was going for a breakaway at first," Raymond said. "But he was probably pretty tired. I tried to jump up, and I was pretty tired, too, and then I just tried to make the shot. Happy it went in.
"It's been a lot of emotions up and down, but it's been fun. I think all of us have enjoyed it. We've stuck with it and been able to pull through with some really big points here down the stretch. I think if you look at our locker room, we've got so many competitive guys who enjoy these types of games. Yet again, it shows a lot about our team, the way we were able to come back in these games."
Raymond, a 22-year-old the Wings selected at No. 4 in 2020, has 10 points the last five games, every single one of them crucial to the Wings still having a chance to advance.
"The growth of him — you want these important games down the stretch for many reasons, and a lot of it is for the growth of our youth," coach Derek Lalonde said. "I give him a ton of credit. Didn't get frustrated, hung in there, battled, obviously two big goals in the end."
Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) skates against Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) during the first period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday, April 15, 2024.
On the tying goal, Raymond called it, "a crazy sequence. Puck was bouncing all over the place, and I got it and was wide open. Felt good."
J..T Compher said that, "that last shift in regulation, when it felt like the puck might never go in for us, those guys stuck with it. Ray's goal, the poise he had in that moment, to take a few steps up with how hectic it was, what an unbelievable play."
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com . Follow her @helenestjames .
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter . Her latest book, "On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft," is available from Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lucas Raymond comes up huge again in Detroit Red Wings' playoff chase
