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I think we can admit that Finnish wing was right. Ville didnt have any confidence playing with the wings and it showed. Maybe Babcocks constant calling him out just didnt motivate Ville the way it would other guys, probably just made the situation worse actually. I think Ville/Babcock just werent a great Player/coach match .

Talent only matters when you play hard. He never played this hard for the Wings. Don't know if it's the playoff atmosphere that's woken him up, but he was sleepwalking most of his time in our lineup. You really think a "genius" like Holland/Babcock would let him go so easily if they didn't think he was a lazy ass?

Okay, so he was confident all the time, he just SUDDENLY didn't wanna work anymore after he got that HUGE 800k per year deal. What a fukin joke.

It would help to watch the video.

Yeah a clean hit on a star player. I would love him here and I'm sure if he was a wing and did that clean hit to Crosby you would love it.

Fully realize that our season is done...but this is just EPIC!!! Love it

As an NHL fan who will turn 20 just before the start of the 2010-11 season, I have watched the NHL passionately since I can remember. I vividly remember the rivalry with Colorado from '96 through '02. I remember McCarty's clinching goal in the 1997 Final against the Flyers. I remember Yzerman's Double OT clinching goal against John Casey and the Blues in 1996. I remember Larionov's Triple OT goal in 2002 against Carolina. I remember the joy of winning the first cup in 42 years turn to tragedy one week later in 1997. I was only seven years old then, and I remember the determination of winning for Vladi and Sergei Mnatsakonov in 1998. I'll never forget Stevie Y placing the Cup in Vladi's lap at center ice in Washington. Not a dry eye in Hockeytown at that moment, and one that no one will ever forget. I remember Shanahan's Irish Jig every time he scored. I remember Yzerman taking a puck to the eye in 2004 against Calgary. I remember the joy of winning in 2002, and then be shocked when we were swept the following year in the first round by the Ducks. I remember watching Steve Yzerman's final game in 2006 at Rexall Place in Edmonton. I remember watching his press conference and tears rolling down my face when he announced his retirement. I remember Lidstrom's goal against Dan Cloutier in 2002 from the Center Red Line. I remember the Russian Five. I remember the Swede Eight. These are only some of the moments I remember from the thousands of games I've watched. Since the lockout in 2004-05, I must admit this NHL has completely digressed from the hockey that I grew up watching. Now I'm going on 20 and still growing up and maturing, but there need to be some changes, for the good of the game. Here is what I am requesting, not only as a die-hard Red Wings fan but as a hockey fan in general. 1. Intent to Blow the Whistle - There are four referees, four whistles, eight eyes, four mouths, eight legs, but one sound that is clear, a blown whistle. This rule is so flawed. Plain and simple: The play shall be live until the whistle actually sounds. With the rule "Intent to Blow the Whistle," it gives referees power to wave-off any goal they desire. It also creates controversy of any goal that happens to be waived off and whether the "Intent to Blow the Whistle" was there or not. This problem is so simple to fix: PLAY IS LIVE UNTIL A REFEREE'S WHISTLE ACTUALLY SOUNDS. 2. Video Review - Plays that are blown dead due to "Intent to blow the whistle" or "Goalie Interference" are non-reviewable yet goals off of high sticks or kicked in are reviewable. With this logic, players should be able to high stick pucks in the net and make a case "Intent to hit it down to skates" or "Intent to kick it to my stick, not in the net." Goalie Interference shall be reviewable, whether called a penalty, play just blown dead, or play results in a goal, and shall be determined by a player making contact with the goalie inside the crease, however, goalie interference shall not be called outside the crease. Also, I never understood why they go to Toronto when a goal is under review. Goal judges shall have their own booth with all camera angles within every arena and make the decision there. Better yet, do like the NBA where the officials look at the angles and make a decision rinkside. Plain and simple: Every goal, questionable for any reason or otherwise, shall be reviewable, upon coach or player request, and an explanation be made either way. 3. Trapezoid - I understand why this rule was implemented, but it has only left defenseman vulnerable to serious injury. Because of this, the NHL has two choices. One, they can take out the trapezoid and allow the goalie to play the puck at will. Two, they take out the trapezoid and have no-touch icing. Personally, I like the goalie to have the choice to play it at will. Last I checked, the goalie is a player too. He should be able to play the puck where he chooses, as long as it's on his side of Center Ice. Plain and simple: Take the Trapezoid out and the goalie shall be allowed to play the puck at will. These are three changes that would make the NHL much better. Now I can say let's get rid of all the ticky tacky penalties, and I do, I want the NHL to be officiated the way these past Olympics were, and the way pre-lockout hockey was officiated. I would like to see somewhere in the middle of the road between what is called today, and what was called in the Olympics and pre-lockout. Hopefully, the NHL will make these changes and we can see a much better game on the ice beginning next season. I also think the NHL should be negotiating a contract with ESPN, FOX, and/or ABC. The NHL, in the 90's and into the 2000's, had contracts with FOX, ABC, and ESPN. They now have NBC and VERSUS. Now I'm not saying sign with all these stations because they can't, but they can with at least one.

i didnt want to let him go... too bad. hes played great for philly especially tonight as he scored. i find myself rooting for him when hes out there even though i am canadian and should prolly cheer for canadiens... oh well, i dont like anyone other than detroit really. itd be nice if an original 6 team wins i guess.

People want to see Leino win a cup?? Trolling it up

Another multi-point game for our boy, Ville Leino. I'm glad he's playing so well.

Perry got Vokun pretty good. Should have been a penalty because you can't expect the goaltender to try and get out of his way on that play. No slewfoot, and the slash was hardly anything, but that goal shouldn't have happened. Nothing else to get out of that play.

Confidence has much more effect when scoring goals for example than working hard and hustling. Every great goal scorer say the biggest thing is confidence. Again, Jussi Jokinen said that when he had no confidence in Tampa Bay the goalie looked bigger and the goal smaller. When he got his confidence back with a fresh start in Carolina the goalie looked smaller and the goal bigger.

lol at "flop around" "slight bump" Team Canada, is as usual, full of sore losers, but it was a good play because a good ol Canadian fooker made it. Had it been made by a Czech against Mason, you would call for his head. Vokoun did not expect any contact, Perry gave him a slash and a shoulder. Refs blew this one big time, this should have been a minor penalty. Fortunately, Canadians did not win anyways, and I hope they go back to Canada pretty soon thanks to Russia. a better video:

In an article online in the Freep today Holland said he was hoping Lids would sign for 6M. I thought people were nuts thinking he would sign for 4 to 4.5 and here you are thinking it will be for 2.5 to 4.0. Dream on, no effin way they ask him to sign for less than Rafalski..

Hopefully Volchenkov is dying to play with Lebda, and is willing to take a major paycut in order to do so.

really? no opinions?

ok so i was wondering earlier is being a moron as fun as it seems

I have an interview with them next week, Panthers are on the rise!!!!

Haha. You probably haven't even watched him play this playoffs. You're just bitter because it didn't work here and you're trying to make up something to make him look bad.He's been as good as needed defensively. He's not a PK guy or a 4th liner. He's been skating much faster and back checking as well. Also, he's a winger. If you know anything about hockey, you'd know that wingers defend against the opposite d-men in the defensive zone. Sure, they can block shots, but I don't think Datsyuk or Zetterberg do that either. They're not supposed to "scrum" in front of their own net. And what does it matter anyway when you are scoring ppg? You hope that don't you? Because you made a prediction that he will never be NHL-level player or something like that (never score more than 30 points etc.?).I've watched him since 2002 and I can say that now he's back to his normal self. In Detroit he was worse than he really is. Go Ville, get that Cup!

Tough choice .. I'm a WingNut first and always. When I lived in San Jose, I cheered for the Sharks as long as they weren't playing the Wings .. but I don't think I can now. I can never, EVER, cheer for the Hawks.. or the Pens for that matter. (if it came down to those 2 playing for the cup, I'd cheer for the roof collapsing on both teams) I'll probably cheer for the Bruins.. Original 6 team, no hate towards them, and I like the way they're playing.

That's your opinion and you can have it.I'm still a supporter of his. I wish he does well and it's interesting to watch his games and see if he can improve himself. I think thatt's what makes it so fun is because I'm not a fan of Crosby like Carman for example, it would be so boring. I like that Leino isn't so good player, but I wish he does well. I don't expect him to put up 50 points next season or anything like that. And I don't expect him to do anything if he stops trying. I just still don't understand why people are basically hating some player like that. But I guess this is a pointless discussion then...

That's again only a assumption of yours and some other people.The game looks the same whether you have zero confidence or whether "you're too lazy to do something". That's why you can't know if it's being lazy or not. And as said, the lazy way nowadays is to go the KHL. Not many guys who are the MVP's in top European league at the age of 25 tend to TRY to get in to the NHL by first having to PLAY A YEAR IN AHL. Finnish league MVP at the age of 25 (not that young anymore) going to AHL for a year for a chance to play in the NHL. Do you get it? Salary in the AHL was lower than Jokerit was paying him in the earlier year in FNL. You don't understand what being a lazy is. Why on earth had he come here while every other player goes to KHL after the money and pretty high level of play as well. Was he lazy last year when he put up 9 points in 13 games? Why had he suddenly come lazy after working on his skating with an olympic skater in the off-season? Lazy people don't do things like that. He obviously worked to be better. He's a moody player. It's not about not wanting to do it. It's about when nthing's going well when you have zero confidence. Especially if you're a player whose game that confidence affects so greatly. It really seems that you obviously don't know what you're talking about while you're calling him a lazy player who is only after money.

"When you're whining..." gimme a break.Talk about one media comment getting a little too much weight here on LGW. Leino is a 800k guy. He's better in providing offense than shutting down opposite guys. Don't you think it's good for player to know their strength and weaknesses? He just wasn't good enough to be on top6 here. But that kinda player he is. You don't put Teemu Selanne on a checking line to do checking, because that's not what kinda player he is. It was obviously Detroit's mistake if the believed that Leino can be in top6 and provide enough offense which he couldn't. After that trying to move him to the 4th line is just admitting that mistake. There are bunch of players outside NHL who are more skilled than many NHL 3rd liners, but not skilled enough to be in a top6 role and not good enough defensively to be on 3rd or 4th line. It isn't about disrespecting the organization or the fans if you know what kinda player you are, but are frustrated to live up to the expectations. Teemu Selanne suddenly stops providing offense and the coach puts him to 4th line. Is it being lazy and disrespecting the organization if he says that he isn't 4th line type player? As I said, Red Wings gambled on Leino, believing he could provide enough offense. Don't see anything about "insulting Hockeytown" there.

How do you know it was anything about being lazy? I think there's a big difference of being a lazy or having zero self-confidence. Do you think he didn't want to play for this team? Do you think he didn't want to succeed? It just didn't work. But you have no proof that it was anything about being lazy. If he plays with his own strenghts, knows that he maybe doesn't win corner battles, but can make plays.And the organization didn't hand him no "silver platter". He was the Finnish league MVP and there's was bunch of choices he could've gone to. Red Wings wanted him. It was nothing about "giving a chance". He played so good in the AHL the he deserved to start in the NHL. Things happened and he got traded. Life goes on. Better for Red Wings, better for him. I just bet that OKT + the guy we gonna get from that 4th round pick will play less games in this league than Leino.

He hasn't played with Richards at all and he hasn't even been on the PP at all basically.The games he played with Gagne and Briere, he was the best player of them three.