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Q: Should the Pens win the Cup this year, where does Michel Therrien fit in the hierarchy of Pittsburgh coaches (not just hockey)? I feel he doesn't get enough credit. I'm not sure enough people in Pittsburgh realize what we have here in Therrien.

Craig, Mt. Lebanon

MOLINARI: Your point about Therrien's detractors is well-taken; the Penguins could run the table in these playoffs and some people would insist they did it despite Therrien, not because of any positive impact he had. Sorry, but if a coach is held accountable when his team struggles, he and his staff deserve credit when it succeeds.

There's no question that Therrien has made some moves and decisions that invite criticism -- and he's received it in this space, and plenty of other places -- but, among other things, the discipline and defensive structure he has introduced during his two-plus seasons have played a significant part in how far the Penguins have gone this spring. And some of his personnel decisions during these playoffs, like reconfiguring his defense pairings after the first round, have produced excellent results.

That said -- and as much as some fans seemed interested in how this team, or members of it, stack up to championship clubs of the past -- it is too early to make any definitive comparisons, for one reason: The 2008 Penguins are still four victories shy of earning a Cup, and those almost certainly will be more difficult to get than the 12 they've earned to this point. (Not that any of that dozen have been as easy as the Penguins have made them look at times.)

If, in fact, the Penguins go on to win the Cup, there will be ample time to compare and contrast them with the 1992 Penguins or the 1987 Edmonton Oilers or whoever. And if they don't, chances are not many folks will be interested in assessing how the team matches up with great clubs from the past, or how Therrien's work fits in alongside that of Chuck Noll or Bob Johnson or Chuck Tanner.

Q: Nice to see Aleksey Morozov's name on the stat sheet for the world hockey championships. Where is he playing professionally these days, and how is his game?

Rico, Hollywood, Calif.

MOLINARI: Couldn't pass up the opportunity to discuss Morozov again, since he dropped off the Q&A radar a while back. (Seems folks finally have accepted the idea that he isn't likely to be coming back to the Penguins, who actually surrendered his NHL rights a while ago.)

Morozov has spent the past four seasons with Ak-Bars Kazan in the Russian Super League, and has been the league's dominant force for much of that time. His production in 2006-07 was spectacular -- he had 34 goals and 49 assists in 53 games -- and even though his numbers dropped a bit this season (30 goals, 33 assists in 57 games), he still is a marquee talent there.

At last check, Morozov still had at least some interest in playing in the NHL again, but he obviously has thrived on the ice in Russia and is making a pretty generous salary. Consequently, it's conceivable that he'll only cross the Atlantic for international events like the just-concluded world championships in Canada, where he played for the gold medal-winning team.

Q: I know this is "Penguins Q&A," not "Flyers Q&A," but I have to ask: "Vengeance Now?" Vengeance? Really? What or whom do they feel has to be avenged?

Bill Cantine, Fredonia, Ariz.

MOLINARI: That's one only the Flyers -- specifically, the people who conceived that slogan and/or approved it as the franchise's official motto for the 2008 playoffs -- could answer, but the hope here is that they'll settle for something a bit less ominous next season. Something along the lines of "Kill All Living Things," maybe.