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    • Wings’ Raymond remains hot with OT winner against Flames
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    Wings’ Raymond remains hot with OT winner against Flames

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    Matt Schoch
    | Special to The Detroit News

    Detroit — After two goals in the first 18 games of the season, Lucas Raymond sends the pucks home just in time for the holidays.

    Raymond scored for the fourth straight game, including three game winners, on Wednesday as the Red Wings defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1 in overtime at Little Caesars Arena.

    Raymond’s goal came with 1:25 left in overtime, his sixth goal and team-leading 22nd point in 22 games this year.

    “Goals go up and down – whatever,” Raymond said. “But I think if you do the right things and play the right way, good things happen.”

    Raymond and Michael Rasmussen assisted on Alex DeBrincat’s early goal as the Red Wings’ power play got back on track.

    Rasmussen collected a pass from Raymond in front of the net and then turned to find DeBrincat on the left side. DeBrincat knocked in a one-timer to beat goaltender Dan Vladar at 6:33 for the Farmington Hills native’s ninth goal this season.

    BOX SCORE: Red Wings 2, Flames 1 (OT)

    The Red Wings (10-10-2) entered the game winless in their last ten power plays, a streak that spanned three full games. Thirty-two seconds after Detroit’s first chance Wednesday, DeBrincat’s goal broke the streak.

    Despite the recent setback, the Red Wings still entered the game sixth in the NHL in power play conversions and improved to 28.1% with Wednesday’s pair of goals.

    “It wasn’t like we had to come up with something new,” Raymond said. “It was about getting back to doing what made it successful.”

    Raymond’s goal eased what could have been a tough loss to swallow. Detroit led for more than 50 minutes until a Dylan Larkin error failed.

    The captain was called for a face-off violation after handling the puck with his glove late in a 1-0 game.

    Connor Gary tied the score with 2:48 left to spoil the shutout and force overtime for Calgary (12-7-4). But Raymond’s game winner gave Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot his sixth win after making 24 saves.

    “You can do two things: you can fold and give the game back to them, or you can go into overtime and get the game winner,” Talbot said. “We did a good job mentally not to let that one get to us and finish off the win.”

    The Red Wings have allowed six goals in their last four games.

    “We’re showing that we can play these games,” Talbot said. “We bent, but for most of the night we weren’t broken. I thought we were going to take it to them for most of the game.”

    Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde added about playing low-scoring games: “It’s the reality. It’s about keeping it out of the net.”

    Indeed, Detroit had the upper hand for much of the second period, outscoring the Flames 11-5. Vladar kept it to a one-goal game, though, stopping Vladimir Tarasenko and Jonatan Berggren on back-to-back chances up front after Moritz Seider’s long pass from the boards behind the Calgary net.

    More: How Mike Keenan could have changed Red Wings history

    The Red Wings have scored points in four of their last five games.

    “I just think we found our game,” Raymond said. “Pay faster, play on the same page and get results there.”

    The Red Wings were without Patrick Kane (upper body) for the second straight game. Lalonde said earlier Wednesday that he is day to day.

    The Red Wings host the New Jersey Devils on Sunday at 3 p.m. and the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

    New Jersey entered the list with the most points (32) in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday.

    The Red Wings now have identical 5-5-1 records at home and on the road.

    Matt Schoch is a freelance writer.

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