PHILADELPHIA -- The trade bonanza that was supposed to happen at the 2014 NHL Draft never came to pass, and a few of the League’s general managers believe it might have been because they were being pulled in too many directions.

After all, this was the first time the interview period prior to the opening of free agency coincided with the draft.

As part of the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, NHL teams were given the ability to speak with impending unrestricted free agents five days before the market opens. However, last year that interview window opened on July 1 because free agency began July 5 due to the NHL lockout pushing back the hockey calendar.

This year, the opening of free agency was moved up to July 1, meaning the interview period opened June 25 and kept general managers busy heading into the draft.

NEW YORK -- The Montreal Canadiens will play Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers on Thursday without forward Dale Weise or defenseman Alexei Emelin.

The Canadiens trail the best-of-7 series 3-2 and are trying to force a Game 7 at Bell Centre on Saturday.

BROSSARD, Quebec -- There are few stars in the NHL who can be as hard on themselves as Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty.

Down 3-1 in the best-of-7 series entering Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers on Tuesday at Bell Centre (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS), Pacioretty feels he has a lot to make up for.

Whether that's true or it's just something Pacioretty has convinced himself is true, it's probably a good sign for the Canadiens.

Pacioretty did not register a single shot on goal in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 4 on Sunday, and he is eager to make amends in front of his home fans Tuesday.

"I don't feel good about my game last game, but that's the way it goes. It happens all the time," Pacioretty said after the morning skate. "Good players find a way to overcome a bad game like that, and I've got to do that [Tuesday]."

BROSSARD, Quebec -- Injured Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price skated Tuesday for about half an hour with goalie coach Stephane Waite and head athletic therapist Graham Rynbend, but he is still ruled out to play in the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers.

It was the second straight day Price skated, but the first time he did so in full equipment.

Price took a few shots from Waite while already in the butterfly position with general manager Marc Bergevin looking on from a box above the ice at the Canadiens practice facility.

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien was unequivocal after the morning skate that not only will Price not play Game 5 of the series against the Rangers on Tuesday at Bell Centre (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS), he won't play unless Montreal reaches the Stanley Cup Final.

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 and have a chance to reach the Final for the first time since 1994 with a victory.

"Our team realizes that when Carey was hurt it meant he would not play in this series," Therrien said. "There's a process that's in place for his return, but it won't be in the coming days. We don't want to be thinking about another series because we have a hell of a big game to play [Tuesday]."

MONTREAL -- New York Rangers center Derek Stepan traveled here with the team Monday, and coach Alain Vigneault did not rule him out of Game 5 of Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 and would reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1994 with a win.

NEW YORK – The Montreal Canadiens are expected to insert rookie forward Michael Bournival and veteran defenseman Francis Bouillon into their lineup for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 2-1.

Nothing was confirmed, but neither Bournival nor Bouillon stayed on the ice late following the Canadiens morning skate with the rest of the scratches.

Bouillon is expected to take the place of rookie defenseman Nathan Beaulieu, who played one shift in the third period and overtime of Game 3, a 3-2 Canadiens win. Bournival replaces Brandon Prust, who is suspended for two games for his hit on Rangers center Derek Stepan.

Of course, the talk heading into Game 4 had little to do with actual hockey decisions and lineup news, instead being completely dominated by what the two coaches in the series are saying at the podium.

NEW YORK -- Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust expressed remorse Saturday for hitting his former teammate on the New York Rangers Derek Stepan and breaking his jaw, and said in light of the injury he understood the suspension of two games he was given by the NHL.

Prust will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final series at Madison Square Garden on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS) and Game 5 at Bell Centre on Tuesday. The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 2-1.

He said his intention in making the hit was to bring some energy to his team on his first shift of the game, and in trying to focus on hitting Stepan cleanly, he did not realize how late the hit was.

NEW YORK – Forward Michael Bournival and defenseman Francis Bouillon appear poised to return to the Montreal Canadiens lineup, based on line rushes during practice on Saturday.

With forward Brandon Prust about to begin serving a two-game suspension for a late hit on New York Rangers center Derek Stepan in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, Bournival was skating on the Canadiens fourth line with Daniel Briere and Dale Weise.

Bouillon was skating in Nathan Beaulieu's spot on the third defense pairing next to Mike Weaver. Beaulieu played one shift in the third period and overtime of Montreal's 3-2 win in Game 3 on Thursday.

NEW YORK -- The Montreal Canadiens had their reason to be upset, and now the New York Rangers do as well. The animosity in the Eastern Conference Final between these two Original Six teams is now a two-way street.

With the announcement Friday that Rangers center Derek Stepan will be out indefinitely with a broken jaw due to a hit from Canadiens forward Brandon Prust, the feeling that the opposing team took out a top player in the series is being felt by both teams.

Montreal goaltender Carey Price was ruled out of the series prior to Game 2 when he sustained a knee injury after Rangers forward Chris Kreider collided with him in Game 1.

NEW YORK -- The Montreal Canadiens might have won Game 3, but they know they need to play more like they did in Game 2 if they want to tie the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers.

The Canadiens, down 2-1 in the best-of-7 series, will attempt to do just that in Game 4 on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

"There is always room for improvement," center Lars Eller said at the team's hotel Friday. "I'd say the good thing is we came out of there with a win, and we have to be a lot better. We have to improve. We have to be better. It almost seems like the roles were reversed from Game 2 to 3, and the Rangers probably had a lot more scoring chances in Game 3 than we had.

"But at the same time, goal 2 and 3 is a good example of us winning battles in front of the net and getting those ugly goals. We had the chances in Game 2, but we didn't win the battles in front of the net, both in front of our net. Yesterday in front of [goaltender Henrik] Lundqvist's net, we were able to win those battles. I think that made the difference [Thursday]."