Ville Leino feeling confident in Philly

Ville Leino never had much luck in Detroit, after he signed as a free agent with the Red Wings in 2008. He was sent to the minors, and didn’t make his NHL debut until January of 2009. He struggled adjusting to the North American game, and was eventually traded to the Flyers this February.

After being scratched in nine of his 11 games, Leino is finally starting to feel as if he’s part of the team. From Sam Carchidi of Inquirer:

“It’s all about your confidence and how you feel,” said Leino, who had a goal and an assist in the victory against the Devils. “You feel you have a little spot and feel like you’re getting into the game’s flow. You know where to go and don’t have to think out there. It takes a little extra load off you.”

It’s been tough for Leino to take his dominant game from Finland and translate it into success in the NHL. He’s certainly started to stand out with the Flyers, and they’re going to need him to be at his best if they expect to hang onto a playoff spot.

Who would have thought the Flyers would be needing Leino’s vast (4 games) playoff experience down the stretch?