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.

2009 Western Conference Playoffs

San Jose Sharks (1) vs Anaheim Ducks (8)

In the final days of the regular season, the seedings at the bottom of the stack got shaken up quite a bit. Unfortunately, it did not shake in the Sharks favor. The President's Trophy winning Sharks will get their biggest division rival and 2007 Stanley Cup champions in the first round. Lucky them. An upset isn't out of the question here, the Ducks have played the Sharks very tight all season, but I think the worst that will happen to San Jose is that they're unable to eliminate the Ducks quickly and will have to endure a long series against a team that loves to play physical. Sharks in 6.

Detroit Red Wings (2) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (7)

The defending champs will start their quest to defend their title against a team that will be making its first ever playoff appearance. The regular season series between the two is 3-3, but again, none of that matters in the playoffs. This Columbus team is very young and inexperienced. Despite the huge disadvantage in goaltending, the Wings should roll over the Jackets in 5 games, 6 if Osgood continues to play poorly.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs St. Louis Blues (6)

For a while it was looking like it was going to be a goaltending duel between Roberto Luongo and Steve Mason of the Blue Jackets. Instead it'll be Roberto Luongo and CHRIS Mason of the Blues. This watered down version of a good series is still very intriguing though. The Blues have been red hot in the second half and could possibly have Paul Kariya back for Game 1. If you're looking for an upset in the first round, here it is. Blues in 7.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) vs Calgary Flames (5)

This isn't exactly where the Flames envisioned themselves finishing after acquiring Olli Jokinen at the deadline. Nevertheless, they're in the playoffs and are always a pain to eliminate. That's good news for them as they'll play a team that hasn't eliminated anyone from the playoffs since 1996, the Chicago Blackhawks. This young Hawks team has beaten the Flames all four times they played each other this season, but is entering their first post season in seven years, while the Flames have a lot of playoff battle tested players on their roster. Flames in 6.

2009 Eastern Conference Playoffs

Boston Bruins (1) vs Montreal Canadiens (8)

Ahhh yes, nothing like an old Adams division rivalry to get it started. It won't have Ray Bourque or Patrick Roy, but that shouldn't make it any less exciting. These two teams met in the first round of the 2002 playoffs with the Bruins owning the number one seed and the Habs knocked them off in 6 games. I hope Habs fans got their fill back then because history isn't going to repeat itself. Montreal's goaltending is shaky at best with Carey Price and they will be without the services of Mathieu Schneider and Andrei Markov. The Bruins beat them 5 out of 6 times in the regular season and I don't see this ending any differently. B's in 5.

Washington Capitals (2) vs New York Rangers (7)

Last season, the Caps were knocked out of the playoffs because they simply didn't show any guts. The Flyers pushed them around, did whatever they wanted to Cristobel Huet and lost out in 7 games. This year, they better show some balls because they have Sean Avery and the New York Rangers to deal with. The Capitals have infinitely more talent than the Rangers, but if they don't show up looking to play "playoff hockey", they'll get upset again. Having said that, I think the Caps will bombard Lundqvist with shots and knock out the Rangers in 5, maybe 6.

New Jersey Devils (3) vs Carolina Hurricanes (6)

Here's an interesting matchup between two teams going in opposite directions. The Devils looked like they were going to grab the top seed, then fell apart at the end. The Canes on the other hand have been streaking late in the season and grabbed the 6 seed. Of course, none of that matters now. Its playoff hockey where everything changes. The Devils have the depth, the scoring, the defense and the fresh goaltender in Martin Brodeur to make a big postseason run. Devils in 5 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers(5)

Congratulations Penguins! You worked really hard to get that home ice and will now get to face... the Philadelphia Flyers. Yay. This is like in the Price is Right where you pass on the good showcase in hopes of getting something better, but you get a fridge and a dining room set. You could have gotten something better if you had stayed put, but now you're getting something lousy. Sure, the Pens will beat the Flyers, there's no doubt in my mind about that, but its not going to be a quick 5 game series like it was last year. Its going to be a rough and tumble six or seven game series that will leave the Pens tired and beat up going into the second round. Not the kind of first round opponent you want to play when you're hoping to go deep into the playoffs. Penguins in 7.

Cujo deserved better

It wasn't even a month ago that we were celebrating Martin Brodeur as the winningest goaltender in NHL history. Last night, we turned our attention to the other end of the spectrum when Toronto Maple Leafs goalie, Curtis Joseph lost to the Buffalo Sabres 3-1, tying him with Gump Worsely for the most career losses (352). A lot of Cujo's critics are using this as the opportunity to gloat and make such ridiculous remarks as "See? I told you he sucked and now he has the record to prove it!". Well for starters, he's tied for the record and unless he plays this Saturday, which he isn't expected to, the 41 soon to be 42 year old goalie probably won't play another game ever. As for him "sucking", nothing could be further from the truth.

Joseph never won the Stanley Cup or any personal award for his performances, but he did win 454 games, good for 4th all time. That puts him ahead of guys like Sawchuk, Plante and Esposito. That's some pretty good company for a guy that "sucks". He was the ultimate hard luck goalie. Joseph never fell into the right situation. Everything he accomplished was done almost entirely by himself. He started out with the Blues where he got absolutely shelled, night in, night out. For two straight seasons, Joseph faced more rubber than any other goalie in the league. Before the start of the 95-96 season, Joseph was traded to the Edmonton Oilers where he began to really make a name for himself. In the 97 playoffs, Joseph engineered a huge upset over the heavily favored Dallas Stars in the first round. Cujo just made one incredible save after another and it wouldn't be the first time he would do it either in the playoffs. The very next season Joseph and the Oilers fell behind the favored Colorado Avalanche, 3-1 in the first round. At that point, Joseph took over, surrendering only one goal in the final three games of the series leading to another stunning upset.

With his reputation as a big time playoff performer growing in the summer of 98, Cujo signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he would blast into super stardom over the next four seasons. Joseph won over 30 games in his first three years with the Leafs (29 wins in the 4th season), finished as Vezina runner up twice and led the Leafs to the Conference finals twice. In 2002, Joseph turned in another spectacular playoff performance leading the Leafs to the conference finals. Playing a broken left hand, Joseph nearly pulled off another big playoff win, but fell short in 6 games.

With his unforgettable and gutsy playoff run still in everyone's mind, the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings signed Cujo to a huge contract to replace the retired Dominik Hasek. For the first time in his career, he was playing on a team that actually played defense and he wouldn't be counted on to be a one man defense like he had been. Unfortunately, Joseph's seasons in Detroit were very rocky. In 03, he played well, but lost to a red hot goalie in JS Giguere. In 04, he posted a 1.39 GAA, but still lost out in the second round to another hot goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff. In both years, Joseph was the scape goat for the losses and left Detroit after the NHL lockout. With Joseph entering his late 30's, there wasn't many takers for his services. He played his final years for Phoenix, Calgary and then back to Toronto.

Cujo deserved a better ending to his career than what he got. A goalie that can steal a series and single handily beat some of the best teams in the league deserved better. He deserved to have his name on the Cup or at the very least, have a shot at it. If he had played his entire career in Detroit or played for a team like Colorado or New Jersey, people would be debating on whether he's the greatest of all time. He played for bad teams almost his entire career and the fact that he still won 454 games says a lot more about him, than the 352 he lost.

Ravens afraid of Steelers

The Ravens have a lot to be proud of after last season. They finished with an 11-5 record, boasted the league's second best defense and finished in the final four of the NFL playoffs. Even though they lost to the Steelers three times last season, they are still a very tough and feared team in the NFL. That was until they showed off their newest addition to their uniforms which has a bright yellow streak down the back of their jerseys.

The Ravens asked the NFL not to schedule any night games against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. This request prevented a Week One prime time match up between the Steelers and Ravens on Thursday night. If I could, I would like to ask the Ravens organization one question? At what moment, exactly, did you lose your "testicular fortitude"? Did you lose them in one of your losses to the Steelers? Maybe it was after you watched the Steelers claim their 6th Super Bowl. You don't want to play the Steelers at night in Pittsburgh?? Can a Raven fan ever hold up their head again after this incredible act of cowardice displayed by their team? This intense, physical, hate filled rivalry can't be played during prime time because the Ravens are... well, lets face it; they're scared.

Mike Preston, a columnist for the Baltimore Sun, however thinks this is a good idea. He wrote "The organization knows how to work the crowd. The Steelers always bring back their old-timers for the games, and it gets the crowd in a frenzied mood. The Steelers introduce former players like Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and Andy Russell before the game or at halftime. It doesn’t sound like much, but it definitely helps get the crowd going." The Ravens are the Steelers biggest rival. The crowd is going to be in a "frenzied mood" regardless of whether the old timers are there or not. Your team is turning into a pack of purple cowards that are not only being intimidated by the Steelers themselves, but apparently by the Steeler fans as well.

The Ravens are embarrassing themselves. They went from being a tough, hard nosed football organization to a whiny little pack of crybabies. Why don't the Ravens just ask the NFL to schedule both games against the Steelers in Baltimore? Then they won't have to worry about the Steelers "frenzied" fans knocking them off their game.

They should want to play the Steelers on prime time. They should want to prove to themselves to the league that they are capable of beating the defending Super Bowl Champions. That they are tougher and more physical. They should want to come to Pittsburgh and ruin the Super Bowl celebration and beat the Steelers on their home field. But instead, they're choosing to avoid the Steelers and avoid the national spotlight.

The Ravens are moving in the wrong direction. Winners don't look for the easy way out. Winners look to prove themselves when presented with a tough situation. The Steelers had the toughest schedule in the NFL last year and they finished with a championship. Winners want the ball at the end of the game. Winners view going into enemy territory as a challenge, a challenge that if met can prove greatness. Winners don't beg out of a prime time contest against their division rival.

Brodeur great, but Roy still better

Last night, Marty Brodeur broke the record for career wins by an NHL goalie surpassing former Canadiens/Avs goalie Patrick Roy. On St. Patrick's day, no less. He did it quicker than Roy and he looks like he'll rack up quite a few more before its all said and done. You could make the argument that Brodeur is the greatest goalie in the history of the NHL. You COULD, but you'd be wrong.

I don't mean to rain the parade of Marty's great accomplishment. He is, without a doubt, the best goalie in the NHL right now. If I could pick any active goalie in the NHL going into a 7 game series, I would pick Brodeur without hesitation. Of all the goalies currently in the NHL, no one has won more trophies or championships. He is the best today, but not of all time. Those that want to anoint Brodeur "Lord of the Goaltenders" now because he owns the all time wins record, have very bad and very short memories.

Damien Cox, a columnist for The Toronto Star, seems to think that 5 years from now there won't be a debate and that Brodeur will unquestionably be the greatest goaltender of all time. Conveniently, he glosses over the fact that Brodeur has played for defensive minded New Jersey and had some of the greatest blueliners of the time (Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer) playing in front of him. He also states, "...for someone to argue somewhere down the line that there was a better NHL goalie will mean essentially ignoring the record book and relying totally on opinion or aesthetics." Or the fact that Roy beat Brodeur head to head in the Finals. It's okay, as a columnist knowing all the facts isn't really that important. Hey, you may want to cover your mouth, the room you're reading this in is suddenly started to fill up with sarcasm.

Patrick Roy is the greatest goalie of all time. It cannot be disputed. His butterfly style of goaltending inspired a new generation of goalies, including Brodeur, to idolize and mimic him that changed goaltending forever. Roy showed his greatness from the moment he entered the NHL in 1985. As a rookie, he led the Montreal Canadiens to a Stanley Cup at just the age of 20 and he wasn't just there for the ride either. He won the Conn Smythe trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. Roy went on to win that award two more times. Once in 1993, when he defeated Wayne Gretzky and the LA Kings. Then again in 2001, when he out dueled Marty Brodeur and the Devils to win his 4th Stanley Cup and his record setting 3rd Conn Smythe trophy. Roy currently owns the record for playoff wins with 151 and playoff shutouts with 23. He was a big game goaltender. When the game was on the line, he was on his game. The bigger the game, the taller the 6'2" goaltender stood. As a die hard Wings fan, I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly frustrating it was to watch them play against Roy. The Wings could dominate the play for the entire game and still lose, simply because Roy just didn't give up anything. He was that good. He was a one man defense and made so many big incredible saves, you started to wonder how this guy ever lost. Roy retired in 2003 after posting the second best numbers of his career. In 2004, Roy was selected as the greatest goalie in NHL history by a panel of 41 writers, with Roy receiving 19 votes. The next closest to him was Hasek with 7 votes. Then in 2006, he was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Its one thing to be excited about a great player breaking the record of another great player, but let's not go overboard here. Brodeur is the best goalie in the league right now and will be considered one of the greatest of all time when he retires, but a lot of people are getting caught up in the moment and forgetting the greatness of the older players.

Penguins are playoff ready

It really wasn't that long ago. The Penguins were in 10th place in the conference, Crosby was suffering between two wingers that couldn't bury the puck into the Grand Canyon and the team was playing some ridiculous defensive system. Now, that's all changed. As most underachieving teams do, the Penguins were looking for a turning point. A comeback win against the Red Wings or the Lightning. A shootout win against the Sharks. A blowout win against the Islanders. The true turning point was the firing of Michel Therrien. Some people will argue that this wasn't all his fault. That Gonchar returned at about the same time Therrien was fired and that Gonchar is the spark that turned this team around. Or they'll say that the trades turned everything around. Well I'm sorry but I'm going to have to inform you that you're wrong. Dead wrong. The Therrien firing was the turning point period.

The Therrien firing brought about change. It brought about change in the locker room terms of style of play. I love hearing sports reporters that pretend to know something about hockey say "I don't think the Penguins really changed their style that much. They just seem to have more energy now." They have "more energy" now because more guys are active in trying to score goals. Offensive defensemen like Sergei Gonchar, Ryan Whitney, Kris Letang or Alex Gologoski now have the freedom to skate with the puck, cross over the blueline and take a shot on goal. The past two Stanley Cup Champions believed in this and it worked out pretty well for them. This strategy also opens up space for the forwards because now defending forwards can't collapse down low in their own end. New coach Dan Bylsma also taught the Penguins to be more aggressive and attack the net, another drastic change in the style of their play. Use their talents to their fullest extent to try and to score goals, not sit back and try to defend. Didn't "change their style"; These people just simply don't get hockey and they sit there and act like they're experts on the sport when in reality they don't have a clue.   Never have and probably never will.

To accommodate the new style of play Shero went out and made a couple of deals to strengthen it. First, they deal away Ryan Whitney who became expendable once Kris Letang and Alex Gologoski showed they can play in the NHL. In return they acquired a hard nosed, playmaking winger in Chris Kunitz . Then on trade deadline day, Shero plucked away Islanders captain and power forward Bill Guerin in exchange for a conditional draft pick. Crosby not only had a competent winger to play alongside with, he now had two! The Crosby, Kunitz, Guerin line is the best non-Malkin line he's play on since entering the NHL in 2005. These trades solve a lot of immediate problems like toughness, leadership and overall talent at wing.

With two lethal top lines, puck moving defenseman now being asked to play to their strengths along with the majority of the team, this makes the Penguins a very scary playoff team now. They have the grit, the speed, the leadership, the momentum and of course now, the good coaching to get them far into the playoffs. This team is much better than whatever seeding they'll finish with when its all said and done, one of the top 4 teams won't be happy that they drew the Penguins in the first round. Don't think its possible? The 1992 Penguins barely made the playoffs tying the Devils for 3rd in the division (back then the top four teams from each division made the playoffs) and won the tiebreaker because they had one more win. That team finished the post season winning 11 straight and captured their 2nd Cup. The playoffs are a whole new game in the NHL and right now the Penguins look ready to play.