Lucas Raymond improved defensively and it's let him play faster in the process

Even with the team struggling in Sweden, the Red Wings winger continued to take steps.

The Detroit Red Wings had a disastrous trip to Sweden.

Playing against a pair of Atlantic Division opponents, close to the Thanksgiving cutline, put on a clinic in how to poorly start a game against the Ottawa Senators and then were equally bad closing out a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was a blown opportunity, and from a team perspective, the Red Wings were left this week to try and reconcile forced positives from their play.

It all put a damper on chatter about how good individually Lucas Raymond played in his home country and how the Swedish winger has progressed in his third NHL season.