John Stevens = Michael Therrien

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Once upon a time, a young, talented hockey team in PA struggled and finished with the worst record in hockey. During that season they turned to their minor league coach to get his young crew in order and help develop them into stars. After failing to make the playoffs, they turned things around dramatically, finished with over 100 points and made the postseason the very next year. But since then, his team has out grown him and they need someone better than a minor league coach. Sound familiar? It should, it's the story of former Penguins coach Michael Therrien. It's also the story of current Flyers coach John Stevens.

Unlike the Penguins, the Flyers are holding onto their dead weight. Apparently, getting decimated in the Conference Finals by your cross state rival isn't enough to lose your job. Apparently, falling apart at the end of the season and losing home ice advantage on the final day of the regular season when you held it for months isn't enough to get fired. Apparently, not getting the most out of your players is good enough for the Flyers these days.

Watching Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarter finals against the Penguins had to be agonizing for Philly fans. This playoff match up picked up right where it left off with the Pens beating the hell out of a poorly coached and undisciplined team. It was just one dumb penalty after another. Also, can someone please explain to me why Martin Biron is still in the net for the Flyers? Can someone check backup goalie Antero Niittymakis' butt? I think he may be super glued to the bench. I'm not saying that Niittymaki is the answer, but when you send out someone that gets murdered time after time against a specific team... QUIT putting him in! Biron had a 3.37 GAA with a .877 save percentage against the Pens in the regular season this year and in last years' conference finals, Biron surrendered 4 goals or more in 3 of the 6 games played. It's quite clear that the Penguins own Biron and putting him out there is as gruesome as the natives serving a scantily clad woman to King Kong.

There's a saying that you "get what you pay for". The Flyers are paying for a minor league coach and are getting what they deserve for keeping him employed for this long. As I said with Therrien and the Penguins, this Flyers team will never win a championship with John Stevens as their head coach.