MORE LOCKOUT COVERAGE

• NHL lockout links: Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and Ryan Miller expected be in New York for Tuesday's meeting; NHLPA won't choose who will join owners until tomorrow

• NHL lockout update: Players and owners take break from talks, could meet again later tonight or tomorrow; 'Positive feedback' reported

• NHL lockout update: NHL, NHLPA agree to meet Tuesday; Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr will not attend

• NHL lockout hot topic: Will you boycott the NHL if there's a 2012-13 season?

• NHL lockout links: President Obama comments on lockout



• NJ.com's lockout coverage

UPDATE: The two sides will meet later today instead to avoid conflict with the NHL's Board of Governors meeting.

We wrote last night about the bits and pieces of news leaking out of meetings between players and owners, with the word "progress" being used to describe what had transpired.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly and the union's special counsel Steve Fehr confirmed the optimism that had leaked earlier. In fact, they addressed the media together.

"Everybody is working hard. I think everybody wants to get a deal done, so that's encouraging. We look forward to hopefully making more progress tomorrow," Daly said, via The Associated Press.

Fehr sounded even more positive. "In some ways I'd say it might be the best day we've had, which isn't too overly optimistic of a picture. There is still a lot of work to do and a lot to be done. We will be back at it tomorrow morning," he said.

Indeed they will. Talks will restart at 9 a.m. this morning with the same group of 18 players and six owners, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen, who also said the "plan is to work around" the NHL's Board of Governors meeting that's set to take place at 11 a.m.

The difference-makers were reportedly big names in the Penguins organization, including owner Ron Burkle and star forward Sidney Crosby. "Burkle over the past couple of weeks had conversed with Sidney Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, and fellow Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and to some degree Crosby, as well, as the group tried to find common ground among the obvious, divisive issues between both sides of the labor impasse," ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reported.

Will the "cautious optimism" from last night continue today? Stay tuned.