Do you think Mario Lemieux has regained some of the flash of the old days or is this just a "flash in the pan" moment where the truth will be told in April? -- Dan Mendoza, Los Angeles

Melrose: Lemieux is no "flash in the pan." He's an incredible hockey player. He (and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins) has benefited from the new rules and the wide-open style of play. The Penguins' power play is awesome right now. They're just eating other teams up. But because Lemieux's line is scoring 50 percent of Pittsburgh's goals right now, teams will start concentrating on shutting it down -- you don't have to be a genius to figure out that they're killing you. That's why Martin Straka's return is so important. With Straka, the Penguins have two lines that can score. That will help big time.

I am glad scoring is up in the game, but I miss the fighting. What was wrong with old-time hockey? -- Mike, Indiana, Pa.

Melrose: The NHL has clamped down on fighting. And now with the speed of the game, the tough guys aren't on the ice very much. There are so many penalties and power plays, the power plays are getting so good that teams can afford to take stupid penalties. Less fighting may be a trend that continues.

The Minnesota Wild have been out shot in a number of their victories thus far, which is surely a credit to Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson. However, do you believe that at some point getting out shot all the time will be more problematic and lead to more defeats? Or do you feel that the Wild can just force more low-percentage shots and Fernandez and Roloson will be able to keep up their current pace? Thanks. -- Matt Breen, Collegeville, Minn.

Barry Melrose: Minnesota is very similar to the old New Jersey Devils when they were playing their best. The Devils didn't produce a lot of shots. Their thinking was defense first and when they had a chance to score, they'd put it in the net. The Wild are good in their own end, they've got great goaltending and when they need a goal, they get it. They don't waste a lot of shots or just fire the puck at the net for no reason. I don't foresee the Wild changing their style, so if you're a Minnesota fan, you're going to have to get used to being out shot. But as long as you win most nights, it doesn't matter.

Currently the Philadelphia Flyers are scoring a little over three goals per game under head coach Ken Hitchcock. What is so different about new coach Hitchcock compared to the Hitchcock of old? -- Steven Zimmerman, Millersville, Pa.

Melrose: Hitch is a smart guy and with the new rules, he had to change the way his team plays. The Dallas Stars used to play the clutch and grab, hooking and holding -- and if the Flyers did that they'd be in the penalty box all night. The Flyers, with six great offensive players and some defensemen that can really move the puck, have a lot of talent. So, they've just changed their style to adapt to the rules. They Flyers are a good team. Their defense has been solid, and they've got some guns up front. Philadelphia is certainly one of the top teams in the East.

I admire your work on ESPN as an analyst. I want to know what it takes to be an analyst or broadcaster for hockey and how broadcasting has changed in the past years. -- John Thorp, Philadelphia

Melrose: To be an analyst, you need to have a hockey background. You need to have played hockey. Having been a coach also helps give a different perspective. I'm a good combination because I've done everything. I've been a player, a coach and a general manager. I've been successful and I've been fired. There's not much in hockey that I haven't done or seen.

To be a host, like John Buccigross, you don't need playing experience but you have to love hockey (because you spend a lot of time watching it). It's a challenging job. You have to work hard at it and be very organized and prepared.

Since the season started, do you think the East -- teams like the Flyers, Devils, Penguins and maybe even the Tampa Bay Lightning, too -- is better than the West? -- Chris O'Neill, Philadelphia

Melrose: Not even close. The West is leap years ahead of the East. The top tier is the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings. Then, just below are the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks. Finally, you have the Minnesota Wild, L.A. Kings, and the Edmonton Oilers. The West is deeper and far superior to the East. The East's best teams are Philadelphia and New Jersey. And behind them, there are no teams close. So, the power is still in the West.

What is the deal with the Colorado Avalanche? Why haven't they been able to score some goals with Peter Forsberg in the lineup? -- Tom Filak, Superior, Wis.

Melrose: That is the million dollar question. Colorado's terrible power play has hurt their goal production. And with Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay, Milan Hejduk, Radim Vrbata, Rob Blake, Adam Foote and Derek Morris, they should be able to score. That's one of the reasons they're not winning games. Fortunately for them, because of ties, they're not losing many either. The Avs are good defensively. With that offensive talent, it's a big surprise that they're not putting more pucks in the net.

I have been watching the Detroit Red Wings for most of my life and was happy to see how they dominated last season. But this season it seems as though the "red machine" is rusted shut. As a Wings fan, when do you panic and wonder when they'll bring back the crisp passing and controlling of the game of last year. -- Jay, Austin, Texas

Melrose: The Red Wings still have it, Jay. They may not be as consistent as last year, but some of that can be attributed to other teams in the West. For example, Dallas is a much better team right now. So don't panic, Detroit still looks great and is still the team to beat out of the West. Don't forget they'll have Steve Yzerman back for the second half of the season. Curtis Joseph has been playing well and the defense has been excellent. And with 11 goals already, Sergei Fedorov is playing the best offensive hockey he's played in years.

Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey analyst for ESPN.