Leino to Join the Zetterberg-Cleary Line

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Thanks to The Detroit News for the scoop:

This is a time of change for Red Wings forward Ville Leino. He practiced on a new line Monday and should be receiving a new batch of hockey sticks later this week.

Leino replaced injured forward Jason Williams on a line with Dan Cleary and Henrik Zetterberg when the Wings practiced at Joe Louis Arena. Williams is expected to miss at least eight weeks after suffering a broken fibula in a 5-1 loss Saturday at Toronto.

"We'll see what happens," coach Mike Babcock said. "We think Ville's a real intelligent hockey player. He's played real well for us in the past. He's at a point his confidence isn't as good as it has been in the past. So, he's gotta do his part, and we're going to try to help him out. Obviously, if you end up playing with Z and Clears, those are good players."

Leino was doing his part to gain confidence after practice, talking to an equipment rep about changing his hockey stick. "Yeah, I'm working on it, trying to find the perfect one," Leino said. "Sometimes little things can help you. I changed it before the season. I'm just going to make a few adjustments on it."

Leino will also be adjusting to his new linemates. "Those are good linemates," he said. "I think it's going to be fun."

The change should mean an automatic confidence boost for Leino, who has two goals and one assist in 14 games with a minus-4 rating this season.

"My confidence has been a little lost," Leino said. "You always need something to get going, and hopefully this is it."

Leino scored five goals and four assists in 13 regular-season games for the Wings last season. He also scored 15 goals and 31 assists in 57 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL).

He scored three goals and 13 points in 10 playoff games for the Griffins and had two assists in seven playoff games for the Wings.

"He knows what to do out there," Zetterberg said of Leino. "He's a skilled guy, really sees the ice well. Looking forward to playing with him. You just have to be aware when he has the puck because the puck can come to you any time."

Putting Leino with Zetterberg meant that Patrick Eaves, who has a bruised left foot, would remain on a line with Kris Draper and Darren Helm.

"That line prior to last game had been real effective for us, with either Draper or Helm or Eaves on it, or sometimes Leino," Babcock said. "We'd like to put them back together and get them going."

Eaves said his foot is getting better. "It's a bruise, so it's going to hurt when pressure is put on it," Eaves said. "But it doesn't hurt as much as yesterday or the day before."

NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Brett Lebda didn't practice. Babcock said Lebda was ill.

Makes sense. With Eaves coming back I'd rather reunite him with Draper and Helm-- that line's been money. No sense in screwing with the Adrenaline line.

Leino's suffering from some rookie lack of confidence so playing with Zetterberg and Cleary will give him a huge boost in the arm. Right now we need him to be the player he was last year and in this year's preseason. If anyone can get his ass moving again it's Zetterberg (and really, who's a better guy to pair him up with and let him learn from?).

Can't wait to see them play against the Jackets.

[PrairieDawg 52]

Lebda is ill?

[Namingway 146]

Good news. I'd like to see what Leino could do on a line with Clears and Z. I'm sure if he could get his confidence going, he might become one hell of a player. He has a nose for the net but just needs to work on his finish.

Also, I think Lebda has been sick for a long time already. He has had a case of cannotplaydefensitis for a while now

[FunkedUp 29]

Leino needs to get going. His lackluster start is not doing us any good and this is a big opportunity for him to find his game. He needs to become a go-to guy, now that we're missing our second line. Playing with Z and Cleary will definitely give him some chances. Hopefully, for his sake, he can start finding the back of the net and be the goal scorer that he should be. If he doesn't get it going soon, then he needs to get demoted to the 3rd or 4th line so someone else can have a chance.

[dat's sick 1,002]

I just have this feeling that Hank and Ville are going to be great together.. really interested in seeing how it works out. We definitely need Leino to pick it up and start scoring.

[kylee 727]

leino has been invisible, so any change coming his way is good.

[solnyshko 8]

I'm excited about this. Zetterberg should be a good push for Leino. As long as Lebda doesn't pass his "illness" onto anyone else, I'm fine with that as well.

[FinWing 26]

Lebda is ill?

My thoughts exactly.

[Viking_Erection 1]

I just have this feeling that Hank and Ville are going to be great together.. really interested in seeing how it works out. We definitely need Leino to pick it up and start scoring.

That's what I am thinking too. Wouldn't it be awesome if Zetterberg and Leino (and Cleary) become a dominating line together.... so dominating that Babcock cannot separate them even after all the injured players return. One can hope.

Another player who needs to start finishing is Bert. If he'd popped a few of those chances in, he might just be the leading scorer on this team right now. He's been producing some great opportunities but not finishing. He's been a force while failing to score.

Go Wings

Edited November 10, 2009 by Viking_Erection

[hooon 1,089]

good luck to ville, but i think the most important news here is that lebda is sick!

[thedatsyukian 7]

Lebda is ill?

[egroen 384]

Leino looked better in the last game, but like the rest of the team -- could not finish his chances.

Hopefully Zetterberg can stop trying to do everything.

[ben_usmc 253]

I really hope this works because I've been disappointed in Leino so far, but maybe I just to high expectations for him in the 1st place. Either way I hope this works!

[Viking_Erection 1]

I really hope this works because I've been disappointed in Leino so far, but maybe I just to high expectations for him in the 1st place. Either way I hope this works!

Unrealistic expectations can disappoint. Ville is a rookie that suppose to be on the 3rd line only making $750k. I expect him to score 10-12 goals this season... maybe 18 on the high side. Anything over that I'll consider a 'bonus'.

Ville played some very promising games this season and looked very solid. In other games he was absolutely invisible (so was the entire team). All of the things that you'd expect from a rookie.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Viking_Erection

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

like the rest of you guys, i'm hoping this gets leino going. there was maybe alot of pressure on him to replace hudler both stats wise and roster spot. but playing with z should give him a good shot at putting up some good points. hopefully there's some really good chemistry there and who knows, leino may find himself on the top line with z and cleary when all the injured players come back.

[kylee 727]

Unrealistic expectations can disappoint. Ville is a rookie that suppose to be on the 3rd line only making $750k. I expect him to score 10-12 goals this season... maybe 18 on the high side. Anything over that I'll consider a 'bonus'.

Ville played some very promising games this season and looked very solid. In other games he was absolutely invisible (so was the entire team). All of the things that you'd expect from a rookie.

im not ambitious enough to look through pages, but werent people starting threads in the off-season speculating Leino as the Wings' next superstar forward?

i guess its time to humble ourselves for now.

[Finnish Wing 110]

im not ambitious enough to look through pages, but werent people starting threads in the off-season speculating Leino as the Wings' next superstar forward?

i guess its time to humble ourselves for now.

I think everyone expected more than we've seen so far from every player on the team.

[ashenhigh 9]

Heres to hoping Lebda is too sick to play tomorrow and Meech, or anyone else at all who knows how to ice skate can play for him!

[C-TownWing 0]

Leino looked better in the last game, but like the rest of the team -- could not finish his chances.

Hopefully Zetterberg can stop trying to do everything.

I thought so too, hopefully this is the last push needed for him to get going.

If this works, the next step will be finding someone who can skate to play with Datsyuk

[Viking_Erection 1]

im not ambitious enough to look through pages, but werent people starting threads in the off-season speculating Leino as the Wings' next superstar forward?

i guess its time to humble ourselves for now.

To be fair, many LGWers on here have this unrealistic expectations that offense is okay scoring 1 goal, but it's absolutely not okay when Osgood (and Howard) allow more than 1 goal to lose the game. Not even the great Terry Sawchuk could meet those expectations for an entire season.

That's just one example of the common unrealistic expectations on LGWs.

[hooon 1,089]

To be fair, many LGWers on here have this unrealistic expectations that offense is okay scoring 1 goal, but it's absolutely not okay when Osgood (and Howard) allow more than 1 goal to lose the game. Not even the great Terry Sawchuk could meet those expectations for an entire season.

That's just one example of the common unrealistic expectations on LGWs.

There is a fine line between unrealistic expectations and optimism.

As others pointed out, I'd be surprised if there is a wings fan out there who isn't disapointed in the season so far.

[The Mule 0]

With any luck, Lebda will miss the next handful of games.

[Motown4013 350]

Both Clears and Leino have been off this year. i hope that they can see themselves as roleplayers to Z. Both need to get going.

I know Clearly is a LGW Fav, but he has not played with the same grit that he did last year. i hope this will light a fire under his ass!

[under_par_00 45]

I think Zetterberg and CLeary are a good fit for Leino. I'm excited to see him get a chance with them.

[mjlegend 155]

If it doesn't work for, say, three games, can we still send him down to GR without exposing him? Not that I know who could replace him from GR...