There is no goaltending controversy...I repeat...there is no goaltending controversy

Sometimes it's the little things that kill.

Like an inane throwaway suggestion by Howard Eskin on Sports Final last night on Channel 10. The Wolfman seemed to imply that because Antero Niittymaki was in goal against Atlanta after subbing for Martin Biron on Saturday, that there is a goaltending controversy with the club.

At the very least, Eskin's factually inaccurate. Niittymaki was in goal for Sunday's 3-2 win because he's never, ever, ever lost to the Thrashers in his career. That's just the correct way to keep the hockey gods appeased and good hockey sense to pick up a road win against a weak opponent. Golf clap for John Stevens.

BUT...

Any sense of a "controversy" would be played up by Stevens himself, in the decision to take Biron out of the game after the first period of Saturday's comeback win in Boston. Biron had given up three goals in the first period, including two in an eight-second span late and the Flyers were in a 3-1 hole.

It seemed to me that the insertion of Niittymaki didn't really serve to give the team a wake-up call. It also seemed that Biron really couldn't have wanted the two bad goals back, as on Marc Savard's he was partially screened and then Chuck Kobasew just beat him with a wrist shot. Sometimes, you have to count on the ability of the player with the puck and not blame the goalie for every goal that isn't totally screened.

Biron has NEVER been good with lateral motion, a fact borne out when you see some of the horrifically inept wraparound goals he gives up. Plus, I believe Kobasew managed to put his shot either through a small hole in his leg pads or in the six-hole between the arm and body - each the mark of a skilled shooter and not a lazy netminder.

Besides, as far as Niitty is concerned, of course the backup is going to look fantastic if you keep playing him against doormats like Atlanta, the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay and such.

Just for reference and don't read too much into the comparision - in the Avalanche's first Cup year of 1995-96, Patrick Roy had a very poor record (something like 22-15-1) after coming over from Montreal to Colorado. His backup Stephane Fiset, who had been the starter prior to Roy's arrival, ended that season with a 22-6-7 mark. Still, it was clear that Roy was the Number One.

We should see by now how Biron is not a world-beater. It's not likely he'll ever ascend to the pantheon of Roy-Brodeur-Belfour and such, but he can easily be part of that second-tier of goaltender who managed to get credit for strong play during a Stanley Cup win: Tom Barrasso (1991-92); Chris Osgood (1998, 2008); Nikolai Khabibulin (2004); Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2007 and loser w/Conn Smythe in 2003), and even Cam Ward (2006).

Look at his play in the first two rounds against Washington and Montreal last year and that should be a great indicator of how he can impact a game and series. Leave out the Pittsburgh loss because he was by-and-large abandoned by an injury-weakened defense plus the Penguins' speed and forechecking that was able to anticipate the Flyers' simplified system.

If the Flyers are going to experience any kind of slump on the magnitude that fouled up last February and almost cost the team a playoff spot, it won't be Biron's, Niittymaki's fault or the fault of any "controversy" in net. It'll fall squarely on the coaching staff and the skaters.