Too bad the rest of his teammates didn't get around to following.

In what might have been the final game of his distinguished Hall of Fame career, the injured 41 year old was just about the best player on his team - which says as much about the Red Wings as it does about their captain.

The warrior went out on his shield, the rest of them went out on their knees.

"He worked his ass off," said teammate Chris Chelios, after a third-period collapse that ended their season and possibly his career. "He's done it his whole career. It's a shame we didn't follow his lead. Hopefully it's not the end for him, he's one of the best leaders I've ever played with."

It showed last night. You watched him at practice this week, tentative and hunched over like an old man, and thought there was no way he could dress for a pivotal Game 6. But he did, springing to life like he's a kid again, ringing a second period shot off the post on a sweet rush and assisting on the Red Wings' second goal.

"He could be the toughest guy I ever played with," said Wings defenceman Mathieu Schneider. "He was in definite pain the last few days. I, for one, never thought he was going to play. He goes out and hits the post and sets up our second goal. He just continues to amaze. The bigger the game, the bigger Stevie is."

"He's been a great leader in this sport and a courageous competitor," said Wings coach Mike Babcock. "He probably shouldn't have played tonight, but he perceives this as his team and he wanted to lead them."

One last time? Yzerman isn't saying. It's not his style to overshadow an elimination game.

"The best thing we can do right now, the organization, fans and media, is analyze what happened and where we went wrong and what needs to be done for the future," said Yzerman, named Wings captain when he was 19. "As far as my own personal situation, it's best to wait a few days, later this week or next week I can pretty much make a quick decision on what I want to do for the future."

If it was his last game, the fans at Rexall Place gave him a scene to remember.

"It was a fun game to play in," he said. "The result was disappointing, but to come into the building the way it was, it was just really exciting. The more times you're in these situations the more you come to enjoy it. I don't know that I'm ever not going to want to play the game. I really enjoy it."

It's not about the will, it never was. It's whether or not his body will stand it, and whether or not he wants to put himself through another 82-game grind.

"It's not his desire, it's how he can handle it physically," said Chelios, adding his pal hasn't tipped anyone of about his plans. "He hasn't told me a word."

Last night, he looked like he had five more years left in him.

"I wasn't really sure if I was going to be able to go," he said, after taking a long time to cool off and compose himself following the heartbreaking loss. "I wanted to try, but my concern was that I'd play a couple of shifts and wouldn't be able to go, but as the game went on I felt better."

For a while there, he thought he'd get one more game in Joe Louis Arena, then, with 1:06 to go, pure shock.

"They score with a minute to go and I didn't have a whole lot of thought," he said, adding it's not much consolation that he was one of their best players. "I felt better as the game went on, but we're out of the series so I don't feel great about a whole lot."

Babcock could have used 19 more 41-year-olds with torn rib muscles last night.

"I haven't know him long, I just admired what he did from afar," said the coach. "There's no way you could have won three Cups and been as dominant a player as he's been in the league without having something special about you.

"That's what the good players do. They're not just talented, they have something extra. They have heart and they have soul and they make people around them better. That's what he's done for years in Detroit."