Lucas Raymond's status is confirmed

A bit of good news to pass along before the Detroit Red Wings take on the Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators in a pair of back to back games tonight and tomorrow evening. 

Forward Lucas Raymond has officially been activated off IR, and will be making his first appearance in eight games. He had suffered a lower body injury after a collision with teammate Ben Chiarot in practice earlier in the month. Meanwhile, defenseman Jordan Oesterle has been placed on IR: 

In the 50 games that Raymond has suited up in this season, he's tallied 15 goals with 18 assists. 

The Red Wings were able to win the majority of their games without Raymond in the lineup, which included a 4-1 record on their five game road swing. And for head coach Derek Lalonde, the mental aspect played a huge role in Detroit's success. 

“I think it’s just mentality, it’s just approach, how you handle a road game,” Lalonde said. “Even on that (recent 4-1) road trip, winning certain moments of the game. Our starts have been remarkable. (On Saturday) it felt like one of the first times we didn’t come out of the first period tied or ahead, and that’s just huge momentum for a young team.

“I think those guys have been there, done that. Kind of the message we had (Saturday) – never get too high, never get too low. Kind of stay even keeled. You especially need that on the road.”

Tonight's game will begin at 7:00 PM EST.