Now that the All-Star Game is a memory, what is in store for the last two months of the season? ESPN analysts Barry Melrose and Brian Engblom give their lists of what to watch for:

Barry Melrose

1. Trades: There are a lot of big names out there and plenty of talk about them. The situations in Phoenix and L.A. will get a lot of attention coming out of the All-Star game. Will the Rangers have a fire sale or will they revamp their team? The most interesting thing in the second half will be to watch the player movement and which teams have improved themselves for a playoff run. 2. Pittsburgh: I just have not tired of watching Mario Lemieux continue to amaze us after three and a half years out of hockey. Mario only comes out and scores two points every night. Along with the rest of the Penguins -- Jaromir Jagr and his chase for the scoring title -- they will be fun to watch coming down the stretch. 3. Races: Some of the players chasing the scoring title are familiar, and some, like Markus Naslund, are not. Can a relative unknown like Naslund keep it up in the second half? Colorado has only eight losses at the break. Will they be able to keep that pace up? Speaking of pace, can Mario keep it up? 4. Struggling teams: There are some teams out there this year who were supposed to do much better than they have so far. Specifically, Florida and Anaheim are teams laden with superstars. They both thought they would be in the running this year and yet both teams are in turmoil. Seeing how they react to their adversity will be very interesting. Will the Ducks trade Paul Kariya or Teemu Selanne or will they keep both of them and try to build around them in the draft? 5. Offense: I like the direction of the game this year. Offense is up and the officials are calling things a little tighter. If the refs continue to call the hooking, slashing and holding we will continue to see more exciting games.

Bill Clement

1. Goaltending: So many playoff-bound teams have goaltending questions that need answers if they are to play deep into the playoffs. The only teams that are set are Colorado with Patrick Roy and New Jersey with Martin Brodeur. In the West, Detroit may make a trade for a goaltender before the deadline. St. Louis has issues because Roman Turek faltered in last year's playoffs. Dallas' Ed Belfour has started to show cracks in the armor. Phoenix's Sean Burke has never proven he can win in the playoffs. San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov is just a rookie. In the East, Roman Cechmanek has been great in Philadelphia, but he is unproven. Dominik Hasek has looked less than spectacular lately in Buffalo. Toronto's Curtis Joseph has looked hot and cold this season. Ottawa's Patrick Lalime has never gone deep in the playoffs.. After Roy and Brodeur, Washington's Olaf Kolzig is as close as it gets to a sure thing. So watch to see if Kolzig can be consistent down the stretch. 2. Where the Hart is: At the All-Star break, Joe Sakic is the favorite for the Hart Trophy, followed by Sean Burke and Evgeni Nabokov. But Mario Lemieux has become the X-factor in the Hart Trophy race. We know he will continue to produce big numbers in the second. If the Penguins can finish even close to No. 1 in Atlantic Division, Lemieux can win the Hart. 3. Trades: This will be a record-setting year for big trades at the deadline. All bets on second-half predictions are off depending on which players go where. Eric Lindros and Keith Tkachuk are almost sure to be traded. Other big names who could change addresses include Jeremy Roenick, Rob Blake, Sandis Ozolinsh, Joe Thornton and Teemu Selanne. Watch for trades that could impact teams and shift the balance of power in both conferences.

Darren Pang

1. Trades: Movement of high profile players before the trading deadline is going to change the chemistry of so many teams if things shake out the way we think they will. Prominent players that have a very good chance of moving are Rob Blake, Mike Peca, Eric Lindros and Keith Tkachuk. Those players are not just average guys. They are high-end, impact players who can win or lose the Stanley Cup. 2. What will Mario do?: You know Mario didn't purchase the team and return to the ice to be ousted in the first round of the playoffs. He's in it to lift the Stanley Cup. After seeing the Pens as many times as we have lately, there are certain areas they need to address. Will their goaltending pass the test over the next month? When you have Mario and Jaromir Jagr on the same team it's tough to bet against them coming out of the East. But in 1996 the Penguins were bounced from the playoffs by Florida in a seventh game on home ice with both players. The difference now, is the level to which Mario is reenergized. The word most observers are using to describe his play is "scary". But goaltending will still be crucial. Hypothetically, what happens if they add Mike Vernon? They become even more "scary." 3. Blues motivation: We've been very impressed with the play of St. Louis all year. We know they're battling injuries to significant players right now – Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis. But will the disappointment of losing a game seven in the playoffs at home last year provide the hunger to get them to a conference final? We assume that teams need to experience the bitterness of losing before they can reach for the next level, but will that make the difference for the Blues? Will their goaltending be good enough to get them through a game seven against Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour or newcomer Evgeni Nabokov? 4. Surprising San Jose: I have great admiration for the way the San Jose Sharks have been playing this year. They are an old fashioned bunch. They stick up for one another and I love what they stand for. But they play style of hockey that is not only hard on opponents, but hard on their own bodies. They are going to have to maintain their health down the stretch. Also, I anticipate that Vincent Damphousse will return to their club and the Sharks won't make a deal for another center. Internally it's vital that the team know whether or not Vinny will be able to come back. They would have to make a move to replace him if it was certain that he would be out for the rest of the year. At the same time you don't want to retard the growth of Patrick Marleau by reducing his responsibility in Damphousse's absence. But all indications point to the fact that they think Damphousse will return and they won't deal for another center.

Brian Engblom

1. Trades: There are rumors flying about a lot of big name players who are about to be traded. Once the Phoenix ownership deal is complete, it could signal the beginning of a spree of player movement. Phoenix wants to make some moves, you know the Rangers want to get involved. There are about ten teams that are sitting at the poker table who want to play. Teams like Colorado only need one card for a royal flush while Glen Sather wants four cards. And there are plenty of teams whose needs are somewhere in between. Once the ownership situation in Phoenix is consolidated, look for the ball to get rolling. There will be some big names changing teams between now and the trade deadline. 2. Races: Most people are assuming that Jaromir Jagr will win the scoring title. He certainly has as good a shot as anyone. But Joe Sakic has played extremely well and I don't expect him to have any dropoff in the second half of the season. Look for Jaromir and Joe to battle it out right down to the wire. 3. Goaltenders: There are some teams that need some steady goaltending if they're going to get into the playoffs and have any hope of doing anything once they get there. Who these teams get in goal, or who they don't trade for could make a huge difference. Specifically, Vancouver and Los Angeles are talented teams that could flame out in the playoffs if they don't get help in goal. Teams' fates in the playoffs lie with who is between the pipes. It will be interesting to see who makes moves and who doesn't. 4. Injuries: Through the second half of the season, playoff-bound teams with injuries are going to find out just how much depth they have and if it will be enough for the playoffs. St. Louis, San Jose, Ottawa and Philadelphia have all suffered injuries to important players recently. These teams are going to have to go through the same process that Colorado did earlier in the season. How these teams play in the coming weeks will say a lot about their chances come May and June.