In Big Picture, He Sees Negatives : Despite Kings’ Advantage Over Flames, Melrose Still Has Some Angry Goaltenders

No, Barry Melrose is not an evil guy, even though he has said he has a “gulag” mentality. That perception fell by the wayside when the Kings pulled into this posh resort, the Banff Springs Hotel, hours after their playoff victory over Calgary in Game 1 of the NHL playoffs.

His intense approach has had many of the Kings feeling as if they have been mired in a psychological game. He has screamed at Luc Robitaille. He sentenced veterans Jari Kurri and Charlie Huddy to the press box. He has ripped Tony Granato, Mike Donnelly and Corey Millen, saying they were too small. More recently, he juggled his goaltenders--Kelly Hrudey, Robb Stauber and Rick Knickle.

And his players might get angry, but Melrose’s maneuvers have worked in almost every situation. One King said Melrose’s criticism of him in the newspapers made him so angry that he played his best game.

Wayne Gretzky, who said he expects to play in Game 2 on Wednesday after suffering a charley horse on Sunday, laughed about Melrose’s ways, saying: “Barry’s an emotional coach. He believes in being aggressive. . . . From the minute he gets up to when he goes to bed, he’s snorting.”

Most of his snorting and more articulate ways of expression find their way into newspapers, one way or another. What other coach has actually encouraged reporters to rip his team? After a midseason loss, a sympathetic radio reporter asked Melrose if the Kings weren’t just a little tired.

“Quit making excuses for them,” Melrose said, looking disgusted. “That’s the way it’s always been here, with people making it too easy on them. That’s been one of the problems in L.A.”

Which is one reason he never let one goaltender get too comfortable this season. It caused a few problems, and Hrudey quit speaking to the Los Angeles print reporters for a month, ending his silence after Sunday’s game.

Monday, Melrose was almost delighted to read Hrudey’s angry comments in the newspapers, with the goaltender saying he knew he would play in Game 1, no matter what those “other goofs” had to say.

“I might be a lot of things, but I’m not a goof,” Melrose said, laughing.

Melrose was asked whether the goaltending controversy harmed Hrudey.

“No, because Kelly’s handling it great,” Melrose said. “He’s using it as a motivational tool. When he said, ‘I knew two months ago I would start, maybe Barry didn’t,’ I loved that article. I love people like Charles Barkley--if he can back it up. And Kelly backed it up.”

Having worked Hrudey into the appropriately angry frame of mind, Melrose turned his attention to Stauber, who was demoted to No. 3 behind Knickle. That’s the way it will be for Game 2.

Melrose pointed out that Stauber hurt himself with a bad performance at a key time, the regular-season finale, saying it was the fourth time he had played poorly in a big game.

Still, after that game, Melrose had said the game meant very little.

“It’s not just a bad game,” Melrose said. “It’s when it happens. Robb is our goaltender of the future. And I think he’s satisfied to be the backup. Robb could be an elite goalie in the NHL. Robb Stauber hasn’t played well in the key games. He has to do it when it’s on the line.

“Robb was the guy I gave the ball to in a big game. I don’t know what would have happened. I wanted him to make me have to make the decision (for the playoffs). . . . There’s an elite group of goalies. I know he should be there. I think I expect more out of Robb Stauber than Robb Stauber expects out of himself.”

Stauber acknowledged that he had not played well in several big games. Still the demotion to No. 3 and Melrose’s statements clearly upset him.

“I expect more out of myself than anyone else in the world,” he said. “Maybe he doesn’t know me that well. I obviously expect a lot out of myself, and I wouldn’t be here after all I’ve gone through. If anyone disagrees, they don’t know me as a person or anything about my character.”

Maybe the master plan is to get Stauber upset enough to play better. After not starting for a month, he did play solid hockey. But Stauber doesn’t think an angry goalie is a good goalie.

“The thing you have to realize about goalies is it’s not a position where you can play angry,” he said. “What am I going to do? Come out and hit people? Slash someone? How do you handle that anger?”

Only one thing bothers him more, and it’s being called the goaltender of the future.

“For four years, I’ve been the goalie of the future,” he said, angrily. “Before I know it, I’ll be 30 and there won’t be a future. My future is going to start soon or never.”

King Notes

Defenseman Rob Blake, out because of a lower-back bruise since April 3, practiced Monday and said he will play in Wednesday’s game. “It felt really good today,” he said. “If we were playing (today), I’d be able to play. My concern right now is getting in game shape.” . . . Although Wayne Gretzky said he will play in Game 2, barring any setbacks, team doctor Ron Kvitne was more conservative, saying Gretzky was day to day. Gretzky didn’t practice and spent the day getting therapy.

Coach Barry Melrose said his Calgary counterpart, Dave King, was possibly trying to manipulate the officials by saying the Kings “embellish hits.” Said Melrose: “Mr. King is such a smart man. He takes control of all those things. Guys with a 180-190 IQ do those things.” . . . The Kings’ 6-3 victory over the Flames on Sunday drew a 4.2 Nielsen rating on Channel 7, double the 2.1 10 regular-season games averaged on Channel 5.