Davidson chatted about the chances of all the teams still in the hunt for the Stanley Cup, the emergance of Brian Boucher as an elite NHL goaltender and how European hockey has influenced the NHL and vice versa.

In case you missed the May 7 chat, the following is an edited transcript.

Ian Wilkofsky: Hey John - quick question about the Dallas Stars and their playoff run. How much do you think it hurts them not having Jere Lehtinen and also, do you think a lack of scoring besides the big names will come back to haunt them in the later rounds?

John Davidson: Dan, obviously if Dallas does win their series they will play Colorado and Colorado right now is probably the most complete team in the playoffs. They really did a job on Detroit in all different areas. To me, Jere Lehtinen, if he can get back in the lineup, he would really help Dallas slow down people like Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk or Joe Sakic. I think if he can get back in the lineup they will have a good chance at beating them.

Paul Ufberg: Do the Penguins have a shot without Jagr? Do the Flyers have a shot with Lindros?

John Davidson: Paul, it looks like the Flyers will be without Eric Lindros. His latest bang to the head was deemed a concussion by his doctor out of Chicago and his father Carl Lindros has said he is done for the season. The Penguins without Jagr, no, I don't think they have a chance.

BigFlyerFan: JD, Do you think Philly can beat the Devils if they both make it?

	Davidson says a Philly-New Jersey series would be a 'pick-'em'.

John Davidson: How about you BigFlyerFan! Philly and the Devils, I just don't know. Martin Brodeur will make a big difference here because the Flyers throw the puck deep and at the same time Brodeur is a great puck handler. If he can keep the puck away from the Flyer forecheckers then I wonder about the amount of offense the Flyers will get. It will probably be a pick 'em series if Philadelphia beats Pittsburgh.

Gardner: What do you think of the Devils chances after escaping Toronto last night?

John Davidson: I think the chances of the Devils are pretty darn good. They are wearing Toronto down. They have more balance with their scoring, five of their seven game winning goals for the Devils have come from rookies and again, Brodeur handles the puck so well that Toronto doesn't have a lot of offense.

rahul lingam: The Red Wings got robbed! I can't deny that Colorado is very talented but had the Red Wings brought their A game, then the series would have been a joke. What did you think of Osgood's brilliant play? Hopefully he'll get the credit he deserves in net now!

John Davidson: I think the Red Wings are good, but they didn't get robbed! Colorado is a talented team and they had the best player in the series and that was Peter Forsberg. Their third and fourth lines were outplayed. And Patrick Roy was better than Chris Osgood. That is why the series was short and it went to Colorado.

Roger Sconce: Do you feel this playoff thing has gotten to be more about money or really seeing who is the best?

John Davidson: The NHL players are paid during the regular season. Once the playoffs start, everybody earns the same amount of money. You win a round, your team is given a certain amount of money per player. You lose a round you get something too. But the best players make no more money than any of the other players. And the money is nothing compared to what they make during the regular season. No, I don't think the playoff has more to do with money than anything else. The playoffs have to do with winning and I think your thought is absolutely wrong. During the regular season sometimes you wonder that but not in the playoffs.

Eric Salsburg Philadelphia: John, do you think Brian Boucher has stepped up to the elite level of goaltenders in the NHL? With the national spotlight Thursday, along with Boucher's dominating performance in the playoffs??

John Davidson: Eric, yes I'm very very impressed with Brian Boucher. The thing about Boucher is he never lets any bad goals in. I've really been impressed with his focus. He's a very intelligent goaltender. I did a television interview with him a couple of weeks ago in Philadelphia and we talked about the position. We went on the ice and he showed me a few things and I came away with a wonderful impression of the young man and how much of a quality goaltender he is and how much he thinks about the game and understands the game. And pressure doesn't get to him. He's not a raw rookie, he's very very good.

Anthony Ciatti: Hey John, my question involves the current state of the game in regards to the clutching and grabbing. Why doesn't the NHL make the rinks wider? Maybe not quite Olympic size, but at least a couple of feet will make the game flow smoother and let the skill players do their thing while not sacrificing the hitting and toughness that fans love.

John Davidson: I kind of like your idea of making the ice surface wider. You can't go to the Olympic size because you wouldn't have enough hitting. There would be too much trapping. You go over to Europe and watch the game there are very few scoring chances per game. The teams just regroup and regroup and you don't see the gritty style of play. However I think the NHL missed their chance when they built all these new arenas and they didn't think about the possibility of widening the rink. These rinks are built the way they are, the seats are there, and they are not going to move.

michael hufton: Hey John, your answer to the question on television regarding the difference between the North American and European styles is interesting. You said Europeans have shown us skill and we have shown them grit. That's funny because the all-time leading scorers in NHL history are all Canadian. The last time I saw the stats (2-3 yrs ago) the top 5 all-time scorers (pts/game) in no particular order were Gretzky, Lemieux, Bossy, Lindros and Orr. No Europeans Johnny.

John Davidson: Hey Michael, the top scorer this year - Jaromir Jagr with 96 points. Pavel Bure, 94 points. Top scoring defenseman - Nicklas Lidstrom, 73 points. I think when you talk about all-time, the Europeans, there were very few of them playing in the NHL. They've only been over here the last few years. There is no doubt that overall the NHL has gotten better because we have learned a lot from the Europeans including shooting the puck off the pass, playing the off wing, better power plays and we have taught them how to come over here and compete in tough games and playoff series'. And because of that, hockey has become a winner. Michael, yes, except for the fact that Europeans are pretty good as are North Americans.

MadMike: Is there any chance for a Lindros-Yashin trade?

John Davidson: When you see Lindros getting his fifth concussion, the biggest question is how much can they get back if they trade him? If Ottawa wanted to take Lindros for Alexei Yashin, would they be wise to trade such a valuable property knowing that Lindros could be one hit away from retirement? That is going to make it a very interesting offseason trade if it happens.

Gretzky99: John, with the way the teams in the West are playing, do you think either the Flyers or the Devils have a chance in the finals?

John Davidson: Hey Gretzky 99! I think the Flyers and Devils have a chance. Mainly because they can wear teams down. Dallas, if they beat San Jose, will be tough to beat because they are the champions. Colorado has proved they can play great hockey the way they knocked off the Red Wings. If this is the Great One, how is your hockey game?

niki knight: What do you think of Manny Malhotra's future with the New York Rangers?

John Davidson: Niki, I think Manny needs to spend all next season in the American League. He has to go to the American League, learn to play at the pro level, not be rushed, and earn his way to the NHL. He shouldn't be given a job with the Rangers because he hasn't earned it yet. It's a long long road back for Manny but I think he will be OK. He's a strong man physically. He's a great guy regarding his attitude he just has to learn the game at the pro level.

robban: Peter Forsberg is for me the modern hockey player? Agree?

John Davidson: Peter Forsberg does it all. I don't know of a player who has been able to elevate his game in the playoffs as much as Forsberg. He can beat you with physical play, he has a great shot, he's taken charge of his team so far. The big question with his physical style of play is can he stay healthy?

vaughn NY: Was Terry Sawchuk better then Patrick Roy?

John Davidson: Vaughn, early next season Roy will beat Terry Sawchuck's record for all-time wins at the NHL level. Terry Sawchuck, people say, was the greatest ever. It's hard to say that maybe Roy may be the best ever. If he continues to play well and wins the Cup, he will set the record next season, so it's a tough question. You tell me who's better.

RYAN ICE: Why hasn't Brian Boucher been nominated for a Calder Trophy?

John Davidson: Ryan, he didn't play enough during the regular season. John Vanbiesbrouck played quite a few of the games and remember that in the NHL the trophies are just for the regular season. They have nothing to do with the playoffs. I'm sure if the playoffs were included people would be talking about him. Boucher only played 35 games, Beezer 50. So it is very difficult to put him in for the Rookie of the Year. But he is some goaltender. He has certainly showed me is an elite NHL goaltender.