DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings are a hard team to assess right now. On one hand, they now sit 4-3, riding a three-game win streak after an emotional 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils Thursday that ended with Michael Rasmussen stuffing in an empty-net goal, colliding with Jack Hughes , then standing over him and letting out a triumphant yell. Advertisement On the other, it’s a team that still has plenty of work to do, and has assembled that winning streak despite getting outshot — by lopsided margins — in all three victories.
So, it felt like a good time to sort through some early thoughts and facts about this team — and figure out which is which. What I think : Despite not yet scoring, Lucas Raymond has been Detroit’s best forward Every player wants to start the year hot, and you can bet Raymond would rather not still be looking for his first goal two weeks into the season. Especially coming off that eight-year contract extension he signed this summer.
But despite the early zero in the goals column, he’s been the most consistently noticeable Red Wings forward for me this season. He’s still making plays, leading the team with six assists through these first seven games — including two Thursday — and is tied for the team lead in points with the same number. He also entered Thursday night’s game leading the team in shots on goal, with 14 — though Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane surpassed him in that category against the Devils.
But even beyond those obvio.