Somehow that just doesn't sound right, does it?
With the Edmonton Oilers trying to hold on to a 4-3 lead late in Monday's game, Yzerman wasn't on the ice as the Red Wings tried in vain to prolong their collective playoff lives.

Their efforts failed and time will tell whether the hockey world will ever see Yzerman again. Retirement is an option the classy veteran must be considering.

Yzerman is in his 22nd NHL season and he turns 41 next week. If Game 6 against Edmonton was the last of a brilliant career, it's too bad it had to end that way, with Yzerman on the bench.

Yzerman deserved better.

Yzerman should have been on the ice in the last minute of play, and not out of respect.

There is no doubt that what Yzerman has given the Red Wings game after game for more than two decades is a chance to score when he is not on the bench.

Who was on the ice in the do-or-die last minute of play?

You can put a check mark next to Henrik Zetterberg's name for being out there because he had six goals in the best-of-seven series. But the same can't be said for Tomas Holmstrom (one goal, two assists) and Brendan Shanahan (one goal, one assist) and Pavel Datsyuk (zero goals, three assists). Their presence at a critical point of the game is questionable.

And just think back to the first period when guess who sent a perfect saucer pass to Robert Lang. Yzerman is the guy. Yzerman put it on a platter and Lang gobbled it up.

That's only part of the Yzerman story in Game 6.

There is little doubt that many NHLers would have missed the game had they been nursing the same nagging injury that was ailing Yzerman. With his ailing back, Yzerman had a convenient excuse not to dress but he's a gamer. He is the heart and soul of the Red Wings and his team needed him. That's all you have to know about the gentle giant who is affectionately known as 'Stevie Y.'

Yzerman was just about the best player in a Red Wings uniform in the must-win game for Detroit, which speaks volumes about the Red Wings and their captain.

"He worked his a-- off," said teammate Chris Chelios. "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."

"He could be the toughest guy I ever played with," added Wings defenseman 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, but he perceives this as his team and he wanted to lead them."

For the record, Yzerman didn't say if Game 6 was his goodbye, but you can expect a decision in a week or so.

"The best thing for everybody is that we go home and analyze as an organization what happened, where we went wrong and what needs to be done for the future," said Yzerman. "I'd like to leave my personal situation for a few days, and next week I can probably make a decision on what I'm going to do."

If he retires, his next stop will be the Hockey Hall of Fame. Yzerman has 1,755 points in 1,514 regular season games along with 185 points in 196 postseason games. Yzerman has been a First-Team All-Star, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Selke Trophy winner, Masterton Trophy winner, Olympic gold medallist and a three-time Stanley Cup champion.

If Monday night was his last game, it was a sad way to go.

Every game has to have a winner and a loser and Yzerman should have been on the ice at the end of the game when his team needed him the most.

He has been a winner all his career and should have been given a chance to go out a winner.