Its hard to deny the abrupt turnaround the Flyers have made this season after last year's catastrophic performance. Upgrading from the absolute worst team in the NHL to a playoff team in one year would be enough for most fans in the NHL, but for anyone who has ever listened to 15 minutes of WIP or read the Philadelphia Inquirer, blowing a three games to one lead in the first round of the playoffs is going to be most unacceptable for Flyers fans and likely Flyers brass going as high as their chairman, Ed Snider.

Snider fired a Stanley Cup winning coach in Ken Hitchcock for less than what the Flyers are doing now, and don’t think he won’t replace the young John Stevens for all the same reasons. Because he will, without blinking an eye or betraying any past-player loyalties.

The influence of John Stevens has been significant on this young Flyers team without question. On Steven’s watch, Mike Richards went from being a stiff to a star with a 12-year contract and the word “captain” being mentioned at every juncture. During Stevens’ tenure, Jeff Carter has matured into a player who Toronto is rumored to have actually agreed to trade for the slick, puck-moving Thomas Kaberle at the trade deadline (Kaberle reportedly agreed to the trade then changed his mind thus using his no-trade clause).

Braydon Coburn has blossomed into the rarest of assets as a young, puck-moving defenseman with a strong pedigree and size. Joffrey Lupul re-found his game in Philly and the future looks bright with a stable of more young players and top picks looking to crack into the NHL wearing the orange and black. Those are the positives, but not everything is so rosy on Broad Street these days.

The Flyers, despite just getting into the playoffs, actually lost nine games in a row around the trade deadline, thus scaring off the likes of Peter Forsberg and Thomas Kaberle for a playoff run in Philly because this John Stevens coached team honestly didn’t look like they were going to make it. Now that they are in, they have the league’s leading playoff scorer in Daniel Briere and a double OT win, yet have blown two two-goal leads, resulting in playoff losses and have squandered their three games to one series lead and now face a hostile Game Seven in Washington with a reenergized Alex Ovechkin playing like he has nothing to lose.

Today is the day for John Stevens to truly put it on the line with his team and let them know that they have to play the game of their lives to save his career. Tonight’s contest will be the statement game of the series that either sets the Flyers as a young, rebuilt team that doesn’t play up to their potential or a young team with four former or current NHL captains who have the stones to rise from the ashes and move on to the next round.

To win tonight's game and go on successfully in the playoffs, the Flyers must not take any more foolish penalties, play with desperation and obviously neutralize Ovechkin. Simply put, they must prove they are the better team. If they don't, this season will end in disappointing fashion and will be embarrassing.