Lucas Raymond’s Redemption Game? Sweden Battles to Keep Olympic Run Alive

Detroit Red Wings, Lucas Raymond will look to keep Team Sweden alive during the qualifying round of the Milano Cortina Olympic Games on Tuesday.

Raymond and Team Sweden will face off against Team Latvia at 3:00 pm EST. If Sweden is able to get past Sweden, they will meet Dylan Larkin and the USA in the Quarterfinals. Raymond leads Sweden with five points in three games and became the fourth Swede to reach three points in a single game, joining the likes of Mats Sundin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Daniel Alfredsson.

Lucas Raymond’s Falter During Sunday’s Contest

During Sunday’s game, Raymond took a costly slashing penalty on former Red Wing Tomas Tatar in the dying seconds of the third period, which led to a power-play goal. That power-play goal missed out on Sweden receiving a bye into the Quarterfinals. That goal dropped Sweden to a -1 goal differential, making them fall behind Finland, who were at even, and Slovakia at a -1. All three of these countries tied for the top of Group B, with a 2-1 record; however, if they had not allowed the last-second goal, they would have finished at the top of the group.

Following the contest, Raymond spoke with a Swedish news outlet, mentioning, “It’s unnecessary, of course.” “It’s not fun. The guys played a great game the whole game. You don’t want to put the team in a situation like that.”

Raymond’s Teammates Speak About What Raymond Means to Sweden

Victor Hedman defended Raymond, expressing “put this team on his back” throughout the tournament. Head coach Sam Hallam defended the 23-year-old, stating, “We all saw that penalty in the end. “He has to own it. We support him. We do things together as a team. We learn from it. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be fired up for the next game.”

Kempe added on to this, saying, “He’s a very talented player, very good, very skilled.” “He plays hard, and obviously, we saw some of that today. He’s been great. He’s one of our best players. When you get to watch him in the NHL, as well, you see what he can do. He’s obviously a young, talented guy and the future for our country.”

Sweden Heavy Favourites Over Latvia

Although Sweden will be heavy favourites over Latvia, to reach the gold medal match, the Swedes will have to play four games in a mere six days, including a matchup against the Americans, which is no easy task. Raymond will play a massive factor in Sweden’s run to gold. He is one of the faces of Swedish hockey and has had a big impact on their success thus far. Without William Nylander being at full health, Sweden will need Raymond to carry the load on offence.

Raymond has had a strong campaign with the Red Wings, notching 60 points, including 19 goals in 56 games, leading the team in points. Over the past few seasons, Raymond has turned into the player many expected him to become. The Red Wings are looking as if they are going to qualify for the postseason, bringing playoff hockey to the Motor City for the first time since 2015-16.