Mullet ..er, I mean Melrose Chat

[rtconner]

Here is the first half..

 

Sabres Fan (Buffalo, NY): hey Barry, how impressed are you about this young Buffalo Sabres team?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:03 PM ET ) I've been impressed with them all year. I think they've done a great job of building this team. They beat two of the best teams in the NHL and to win three in Ottawa. They're fun to watch.

 

Allen (Hurricane Country: Are the Canes going to have trouble stoping Buffalo from scoring and geting the puck past their hot goaltender Ryan Miller?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:04 PM ET ) I think there will be goals scored because both teams have such good offense. I don't think there will be 1-0 games. Carolina's beaten Montreal. I think there will be goals scored and I think that helps the product on the ice. I think 5-4, 6-5 games are awesome.

 

Mike (Chicago): Is Stevie Y going to retire?[/b]

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:05 PM ET ) I said it right from the start, I hope he does. I think he had a great playoffs individually. Steve had a great last game, had an assist. I don't think anyone wants to see great superstars like Stevie come back and be a shell of himself. I don't think that will help his memory very much.

 

Grove City OH: who do you think is going to win the west finals between Anaheim and Edmonton?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:07 PM ET ) I think it's going to be a great series. I think the layoff is going to hurt Anaheim they've been off too long. Edmonton is battle tested. I think they're going to win, but I think it's going to be a hard fought series. Anaheim beat Calgary and they're a tough team.

 

Eric (Irvine, CA): Barry, thanks for taking time to answer my question. What happen to the sharks in the series? Besides the obvious which is inability to score on power play and win key faceoffs? Did Wilson simply get outcoached by not making adjustments from game to game?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:08 PM ET ) The Sharks had three or four opportunities to win the series. They had a chance in Game 3 and they went into triple overtime. In Game 4 they were winning late and they lost. In Game 5 they were ahead again and lost. You don't get that many opportunities and they lost them all. Their goaltending went downhill in Edmonton. Winning teams when you get a chance, you do it and they didn't.

 

George (Colorado Springs): Since there are no proven playoff goaltenders left in the mix, is there no clear cut top contender for the Cup?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:09 PM ET ) No, I think we have four teams that have never won the Cup before, these groups, Edmonton has won but not with these guys. Ryan Miller just beat the Senators, that's impressive. Whichever goaltender gets hot is going to be the top choice to make the finals.

 

Nick (Raleigh, NC): Barry, miss you on game nights in the studio! Do you think that there is a single factor or aspect to the game that will decide the Eastern Conference Finals since the teams seem so evenly matched and similarly styled?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:10 PM ET ) Goaltending is going to decide it. You've got two young goaltenders and they've been great. Both teams are evenly matched. This time of year, 99% of the time it comes down to goaltending.

 

James S (LaCrosse, Wisconsin): Has a 8 seed ever mad eit to the Stanley Cup Finals, let alone Win one? I was never a big Hockey fan but this years playoffs sparked my interests.

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:13 PM ET ) I can't think off hand of an 8 that has won it. But there have been a lot of 6-7 teams that have won it. Very rarely have the President's Trophy winner won the Cup. 7 game series are more about passion and courage and will. The four teams that are in it are not the most talented, but they're built for the 7-game series. It's more how you're playing going into the playoffs.

 

Charles (Raleigh, NC): Barry, do you think the Canes will get some recognition now by getting to the Eastern finals or do we have to Win the Cup to get it?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:13 PM ET ) I think people in the hockey world have always known how good Carolina is. This is an excellent hockey club. Staal is playing great along with some others. They're a great hockey club.

 

Greg (Salt Lake City, Utah): What is the current status of Eric Cole, Do you think he will be back this year?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:14 PM ET ) No, I don't Eric will be back. He had x-rays about a week ago and that will determine if he can take his neck brace off. He won't be back this year in the playoffs.

 

Larry,Lima,Ohio: Is it finally time for a major overhaul of the Red Wings?The only untouchables in my view are Zetterberg,Datsyuk,Schneider,Cromwell,Holmstrom,and perhaps Lidstrom.Lidstrom and Chelios were invisible in the playoffs:this team has had a marvelous run the past 15 years plus,time to rebuild,even at the expense of possibly missing the playoffs a year or two

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:16 PM ET ) Actually they did rebuild. They've got younger players. They've got some good young defensemen. They're like everyone else, you just can't go out and get young stars, you have to draft them. To get the real good stars, you have to be terrible to get the high picks. Detroit has to make some changes. They need to get more physical. They've got good management and they'll make some adjustments.

 

Chris, Niagara Falls NY: Barry, how would you rate the officiating so far this playoffs?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:17 PM ET ) I think the officiating has been very good. There have been missed calls, but overall the players are making the adjustments. I think they've been doing a good job and hopefully they'll continue to call it tight like they have.

[rtconner]

Alexandria, VA: I can't wait for both Conference Finals to start! Do you see the Buffalo v Carolina series being a shootout each night or will this be a series decided on low scoring, one goal games?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:25 PM ET ) They're going to be close games. They're not going to be a shootout, but I think it will be 5-4, 4-3. Goaltending will be the key to the series. They're both fast, both create chances. The goalies are going to have to stop chances.

 

Bob (Alameda, CA): Barry- As a coach, how do you allow the Oilers to keep hitting you and not hit back? Torres hit on Michalek was never answered and that seemed to be the turning point. No Scott Parker, no Doug Murray, nothing.

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:28 PM ET ) I don't think you have to motivate those two guys. They've been their best two players. A leader doesn't need a C on their sweater. A coach knows who needs that and who doesn't. I don't think Ruff is going to change what he's been doing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[rtconner]

Yes, yes we in Buffalo do need the almighty Kovalek to step up.

I don't even have a guess at who he was trying to talk about

 

Chuck (Raleigh, NC): Hey Barry, who do you think has most earned to be considered the Conn Smythe Trophy winner?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:31 PM ET ) Conn Smythe Trophy winner - one from each team - Drury Brindamour, Pronger, Neidermayer. Those are my four right now.

 

Tony - Weymouth MA: Who do you think is the best choice to take over as GM of the Boston Bruins? In my opinion, as soon as Joe Thornton's deal is up in two years I would do everything it takes to correct the mistake of letting him go.

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:32 PM ET ) When Joe Thornton becomes a free agent, there are going to be a lot of teams after him. Boston needs a real hockey man. Pat Quinn would fit the bill. They need a strong hockey man, make his own decisions. That's who they need.

 

Aaron (Boston): Did you see a discrepancy between the way the game was called in the first round and the second? It seemed like the first round was the "new" NHL and the second was much closer to the old.

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:33 PM ET ) No, I don't agree with that. I think the players have gotten smarter. I think that has a lot to do with it. They tested the referrees. I think the players have realized that the refs are going to call the penalties.

 

Rich-Chicago: With a lot more college players playing right now (i.e. Gomez, Gionta, Carle, Drury, Miller etc)in the playoffs, do you think college hockey will get more respect over Major-Junior in the future?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:34 PM ET ) Actually, Gomez came from Major-Junior hockey. I still think Major-Junior will be where more of the players come from. Junior hockey prepares you more for the NHL. There will be some to come out of college.

 

Dave (Buffalo): What player in this series needs to step up in order for his team to advance?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:37 PM ET ) Probably in Buffalo, Kovalek needs to step up. In Carolina Dougie Weight. He's one of the best players and this is his first trip this far into the playoffs.

 

Nick (Boston): Can Buffalo win w/o Connolly?

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:39 PM ET ) Sure, they beat Ottawa without Connolly. He's a great talent and a great skater. I use the term that they have four second lines. Who do you shut down in Buffalo. That's their strength. They're a better team with him in the lineup, but they've had guys step up.

[rtconner]

ahhh.. they changed it to Kotalik

 

Adam (Lake George, NY): Do you think the return of Adam Mair to Buffalo will influence the outcome of the series against Carolina?

 

SportsNation Barry Melrose: (3:45 PM ET ) Adam's one of the depth guys. Buffalo has a lot of guys like that. Adam's a solid player. I think he's just another piece to the puzzle.

 

 

Ok I'm done, and so is Barry. I think I can sumarize what he thinks of everything in a few sentences.

 

-If a team wins and Peter Forsberg does not play for them, the Goalie must have been "hot".

-Goalies win everything, and "hot" goalies win Stanley Cups.

-Everyone on the Sabres is named Kovelek, except Ryan Miller (who is apparently "a hot young goaltender").

-Carolina is the best hockey team to walk the planet since the Ottawa Senators who were the best team to walk the planet since the Philly Flyers.

[BetweenThePipes00]

Probably Kotalik ...