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Datsyuk, Doughty, Price comprise Saturday's Three Stars

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1. Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings: One goal and three assists -- all in the first 22 minutes for Detroit's star on Saturday. Datsyuk and the Wings let up a bit in the game's final 38 minutes, but it was still enough to take a 2-0 series lead over the Coyotes. Datsyuk is just so tough to check because he almost never skates more than five feet in the same direction. He's constantly cutting and turning, a whirling dervish in red. Datsyuk has shown what real leadership is like in this series, with Henrik Zetterberg still sidelined with a knee injury. He used to have a reputation for not showing up in big games, but the key words are used to.

2. Drew Doughty, Kings: Nashville's Shea Weber has the hardest slap shot of any defenseman in the West, but Doughty showed why he's somewhere close in the Kings' Game 2 road victory in San Jose. His two goals and two assists helped the Kings even the series. Doughty because the youngest D-man to score two goals in a playoff game since Sergei Gonchar did it for Washington in 1995 (against Pittsburgh). Doughty's regular season wasn't quite what many expected, but he has been excellent so far in the postseason -- and he needs to stay that way if the Kings are to overcome the loss of injured star Anze Kopitar.

3. Carey Price, Canadiens: A lot of smart-alecks, like yours truly, wanted to see Price do it one more time in succession before signing up for a subscription. We're sold! Despite actually giving up a goal in Game 2 (instead of a repeat shutout from Game 1), Price was better this time because the Bruins came at him harder and his teammates barely did much of anything in the final 30 minutes. Price's lateral quickness has been superb, as has his glove hand. For a guy who was lit up by the Bruins in the regular season, his play has been semi-miraculous so far.