Help From The East Aiding Penguins Playoff Drive
Stevens, Ference, Arrived In Time To Boost Squad
By Bob Grove

Neither Kevin Stevens nor Andrew Ference began the hockey season here in Pittsburgh, Stevens having signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and Ference having been sent, kicking and screaming, to the Penguins AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

But as the Penguins fought off the Capitals last month in six games, it was obvious that eastern Pennsylvania's losses had been invaluable in helping fuel the Stanley Cup imaginations of fans in western Pennsylvania. Or that a Flyers icon had helped make it all possible.

The 36-year-old Stevens, who forged a reputation as one of the Penguins most prolific and emotional playoff performers before being traded to Boston in 1995, was mostly likely making the last stand of his NHL career when he was acquired from Philadelphia in January. Stevens' off-ice excesses caught up with him last season with the New York Rangers, and he had been stagnating in Philadelphia.

"I didn't know what to expect here. I wasn't playing much in Philly, and I was kind of down," Stevens said as he prepared for a second-round series with Buffalo. "I knew I could still skate. I knew I could still play.

"I was very fortunate that (Flyers GM) Bobby Clarke. . . he asked me where I wanted to go and I told him I wanted to play here. I'm thankful Craig (Patrick) gave me the opportunity to come here, thankful that Clarke liked me. He was very good about it. He didn't want my career to end the way it was going in Philly. He was great to me."

And, by extension, great to the Penguins. As soon as Stevens hit the post-season again for the first time since his days with the Penguins, he began wrecking the Capitals - again. This time, however, he wasn't doing it solely by scoring goals; he landed on a checking line with center Wayne Primeau and right wing Aleksey Morozov and hit everything in sight.

When he continued to do so even with a sore right knee that promised off-season surgery, Stevens was providing just the kind of leadership on which the Penguins were counting.

"I still want to score goals, but my role right now is to go out and play hard, forecheck, hopefully wear their defense down and see what happens," said Stevens, who nevertheless scored the opening goals in Games 2 and 3 against Washington, sending the Penguins on the way to victory in those games. "I'm happy doing whatever they ask me to do."

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Ference was heeding every lesson provided for him in the cauldron of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Paired on defense with veteran Marc Bergevin, Ference was plus four in the Washington series and contributed a goal and an assist in a critical 2-1 Game 5 victory. Given an injury to Hans Jonsson, Ference's play was an important part of the Penguins efficient defensive effort against the Capitals.

"I'm kind of like a sponge right now, getting information from different guys, different kinds of players," he said. "I'm getting all kinds of insight. It's awesome. I couldn't ask for better.

"A lot of guys, when they get to this level, don't like taking creative criticism. I love guys giving me tips on different things to do. These guys are great teachers. I'm pretty lucky. I'm sure there are a lot of veterans out there who kind of keep to themselves, but I'm in an environment right now where guys, for their game to improve, too, they want me to be at my best. It's great."

Ference had to be a quick study in the playoffs, too, because he and Bergevin were most often playing behind Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.

"You're there for a reason, and that's to perform. You don't want to just hop on their backs and take the ride along," he said. "That's not what you're there for. You're there to help them produce and help them improve their game. As much individual talent as they have, they can't play by themselves. They need help from the back end. We're there to provide that."