Peter Budaj to the rescue? The Canadiens’ season is now in their backup goalie’s hands. (Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

If the Canadiens are going to stage a comeback in their series against the Ottawa Senators, they’ll have to do it without No. 1 goalie.

In lousy news for Montreal’s fans and ticket scalpers alike, the team announced this morning that Price is out for the duration of the first round.

Although there were no further details, it appeared that he suffered a lower body injury while making the final save of regulation in Tuesday’s Game 4 loss. Peter Budaj, who came in and allowed the winning goal to Kyle Turris in overtime, will step between the pipes in tonight’s must-win contest. The Habs trail the series 3-1, and will also be playing without captain Brian Gionta (torn bicep) and forwards Brandon Prust (upper body), Ryan White (upper body) and Lars Eller (concussion).

GAME 4: Recap | Boxscore | Highlights | Complete postseason schedule

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After an eventful regular season, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will be central playoff figures. (Getty Images)

By Brian Cazeneuve

The mad 48-game lockout-shortened sprint is over, and the playoff field has been set. As the grueling battle for the Stanley Cup begins, here are some important questions to ponder:

Do the Penguins have Stanley Cup chemistry?

Sure, the sum of their parts is scary good. GM Ray Shero took an already intimidating roster of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Kris Letang and Marc Andre-Fleury and beefed it up with late-season acquisitions Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow, Jussi Jokinen and Douglas Murray. Those players offer a combined 3,000 games of NHL experience to Pittsburgh.

But here’s the cautionary tale: While the Pens’ collection of talent is now the most robust in the NHL (sorry, Chicago), the unit hasn’t been able to jell over any meaningful length of time. Crosby has been out since March 30 with a broken jaw. James Neal just returned from a concussion, and the Pens have been without Malkin and Letang for blocks of time. So how will all this talent mesh if and when it finally comes together?

The belief is that it will all work, in part because Iginla and Morrow have played in winning situations before (both with the Canadian Olympic team that won gold in Vancouver; Iginla also with the 2002 Olympic team and 2004 Stanley Cup finalist Calgary Flames). In those cases, they had to subjugate their talents to alter their roles for team success, which they did very well. Should the Pens pool their resources effectively, the Islanders and every other opponent along the way will be hard pressed to stay competitive.

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By Allan Muir

In theory, things could get worse for Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon. Jonathan Huberdeau could decide that the shootout’s not really his thing anymore. Alexei Kovalev could have signed a five-year deal. Those freaking quarter-sized mosquitoes could set up shop around the ticket windows at the BB&T Center.

The way things are going for Tallon this season, it’s just a matter of time before the next little black cloud appears over the head of hockey’s answer to Bad Luck Schleprock.

Tallon took another kick in the pants today when he learned that speedy forward Kris Versteeg would need season-ending knee surgery following an awkward collision with Tampa Bay defender Radko Gudas on March 12. Versteeg, who had just returned after missing 13 games with a chest injury, was expected to be shipped off at the trade deadline in exchange for some much-needed futures.

Unlike unrestricted free agents Stephen Weiss and Jose Theodore, Versteeg is under contract for three more seasons, so he won’t walk for nothing this summer. But this was considered the window that would allow the Panthers to maximize the return on the veteran winger, and with Florida’s other key chips off the table, Versteeg was Tallon’s last chance to make a splash before the deadline.

It’s another tough break for a team that’s had more than its share this season.