The Red Wings were looking to rebound from an ugly loss the night before, and rookie Lucas Raymond made sure they did.
Raymond had a three-goal night Sunday in only his sixth NHL game, carrying the Wings to a 6-3 victory over the woeful Chicago Blackhawks.
Raymond snapped a power-play goal midway in the third period to complete his hat trick, and fourth goal this season, and ice the victory.
It was the first hat trick for a Wings player age 19 or younger since Steve Yzerman — who drafted Raymond in the first round in 2020 (fourth overall) — in 1985.
After two consecutive teams took advantage of the Red Wings to win their first game within the last week, the Wings didn't let Chicago do it.
A four-goal second period for the Wings snapped a 1-1 tie and ignited the Wings over the disheartened Blackhawks, who are winless in six games to open the season (0-5-1).
As a matter of fact, the Blackhawks have never led this season, a sign of their disappointing play.
The Wings (3-2-1) top line of Raymond (three goals, one assist), Tyler Bertuzzi (one goal, two assists) and Dylan Larkin (three assists) had a dominant night, leading the offensive barrage.
Carter Rowney and Vladislav Namestnikov added goals, Mitchell Stephens had two assists and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic had 32 saves for his first win as a Red Wing, as the Wings rebounded from Saturday's 6-1 drubbing in Montreal.
Rowney (first goal), Namestnikov (third) and Bertuzzi (team-leading sixth) scored goals 4 minutes 57 seconds apart in the second period, snapping a 1-1 tie.
All three goals were near Chicago's net, batting in loose pucks, as Blackhawks defenders left goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to fend for himself most of the game.
Chicago's Henrik Borgstrom cut the Wings' lead to 5-3 early in the third period, but Raymond's third goal regained the three-goal lead for the Wings.
Chicago's Jonathon Toews appeared to make it 6-4 on the power play, but the Wings successfully challenged the goal, as Nedeljkovic was pushed into the net.
Nedeljkovic made a brilliant stick save on an ensuing two-man Chicago advantage, maintaining the three-goal lead.
The Blackhawks were without star forward Patrick Kane, who was unavailable because he's in COVID-19 protocol.
Raymond and Chicago's Tyler Johnson traded first-period goals.
Danny DeKeyser dumped the puck down the ice, and it appeared to be on its way to be called icing. But icing was waved off and Chicago defensemen Calvin de Haan went to get the puck in the corner, only to backhand a weak pass directly to Bertuzzi.
Bertuzzi found Raymond skate untouched through the middle of the ice, and Raymond neatly wristed a shot through the pads of Fleury, giving the Wings a 1-0 lead.
Raymond continues to play a varied and productive all-around game, which coach Jeff Blashill has been impressed with.
"The one thing (Raymond) does pretty consistently is he plays a complete game, so what that does is earn trust, and if you earn trust, you get minutes," Blashill said last week, when discussing Raymond's progression ."He's done a pretty good job of that. (Raymond has) got a maturity beyond his years, for certain. That's certainly going to help him as he goes through any upcoming trials and tribulations that he'll face."
Blashill massaged the Wings' lineup Sunday, keeping defenseman Filip Hronek as a healthy scratch for the second consecutive night.
Talking on his radio pre-game show on 97.1 FM, Blashill said "he's (Hronek) not in the lineup, it remains a coaches decision, and we'll keep those likes and dislikes (about Hronek's play to start the season) internally between the players and coaching staff. All of us in the last couple games need to be better and we'll just leave it at that."
With Bertuzzi back in the lineup Sunday — Bertuzzi couldn't play Saturday in Montreal because of not being vaccinated, making him unable to cross the border into Canada — the Wings scratched forward Givani Smith from the lineup.
With his three points Sunday, Bertuzzi has nine points in five games, joining Henrik Zetterberg (2015-16, nine points) and Brendan Shanahan (2001-02, 10 points) as the only Wings to accomplish the offensive milestone.
