NEW YORK – If the NHL and the players' association have run out of things to talk about, how can they ever find a way to make a deal to save the hockey season?

It is a question both sides seem to have trouble answering, and not because they are being guarded or coy. The lockout is now in its third month, and there is no obvious path to progress.

There was a hint of optimism after the league and locked-out players met a few times, but the view quickly became bleak. After a one-day break, the sides met Sunday and that brief return to the table also turned badly quickly. They haven't met — and have barely talked — since then.