The Canadiens are in big trouble right now because of the poor goaltending of Carey Price, who seems to have lost most of his confidence. He has struggled to field pucks with his glove hand, and has been very inconsistent in recent games. The Habs have the best record in the East, but they were never head-and-shoulders above the other teams, so the conference is wide open. Montreal cannot afford Price's uneven play right now. He needs to get his confidence back quickly or the Canadiens' season will be over soon. Inconsistency is not uncommon for rookie goaltenders and that's the risk Bob Gainey took when he traded away Cristobal Huet at the trade deadline. In the playoffs, Price has been up and down throughout. He had two shutouts against Boston but also had some very poor showings.

Derian Hatcher has played as well in the playoffs this year as he ever has as a Flyer, but his game misconduct/boarding penalty in Game Three may be the type of play that turns a series around. Hatcher received a five minute major when he smacked Montreal's Francis Bouillon into the boards at the 5:17 mark of the third period.

The Flyers had a 3-0 lead at the time, but Montreal scored two power play goals on the ensuring power play to make the game close. The Montreal power play was ranked first in the league during the regular season but has struggled during the playoffs. Hatcher's five minute major helped give it some life and confidence. It also made a close game out of what appeared to be a comfortable win for the Flyers. If the Habs go on to win this series, Hatcher's penalty may be viewed as a turning point.

Evgeni Nabokov has the lowest save percentage of any goalie in the playoffs and he has let in some soft goals in recent games. If the Sharks lose and Nabokov doesn't raise his level of play, fans and experts alike will question whether the Sharks starter played in too many games during the regular season. At one point, Nabokov started 50 straight games for San Jose and he never seemed to tire. If he starts to show fatigue in the playoffs, it should strongly encourage the Sharks and other teams with star goalies to lessen their workload next year.

In Nabokov's defense, the Sharks' team defense has suffered far too many breakdowns and allowed too many odd man rushes and other quality scoring chances. In the third period of Game Two against Dallas, the Stars didn't have to work very hard to gain the San Jose zone. That has to change if Team Teal has any chance of getting back in the series.

Meanwhile, Marty Turco's stellar postseason play continues. Between this year and last season's playoffs, Turco should have put to rest any questions about his ability to be a competent playoff netminder. Turco continues to be a difference maker for Dallas, who has gone farther in the playoffs than anybody anticipated after a lackluster March.

The Rangers played the style of hockey they need to play in order to beat the Penguins in Game Two, but they fell just short. The Rangers slowed down Pittsburgh's big guns and were playing even hockey with Pens in a tight, defensive game, which is what New York did all year. Their biggest obstacle was their power play which went 0-for-6 in the game.

The Rangers power play has underachieved most of the season considering the talent they have available and they need to find a way to improve it or they will be heading home shortly as well. Paul Mara will likely take over one spot on the point on the first unit in place of Christian Backman in an attempt to get harder and more accurate shots on Marc-Andre Fleury. Now the Rangers have to crash the net in order to take advantage of those opportunities, something they have not done consistently all year.

The impact of Sean Avery in the second round has diminished as compared to round one. With Jarkko Ruutu filling a similar role to Avery for the Pens, Avery has not had free reign. Plus, the Penguins have too much talent for Avery to take any stupid penalties and give the Pens extra chances with the man advantage, so he has had to be a bit more cautious than he was against New Jersey.

The Colorado Avalanche were really stymied by the illness to Jose Theodore and the injury to Peter Forsberg. Forsberg gives the Avs leadership and another serious offensive threat, but Theodore's improved play is the reason the Avs reached the playoffs and got past the Wild in the first place. It will be tough for Peter Budaj to come in cold and help the Avs get past a strong Red Wings team.

Look for more exciting hockey as the playoffs continue. We still haven't had a real marathon overtime game this year. Look for one in the very near future.