Just a few things that caught my eye:

• Drama, tension, intrigue -- now that's what Game 7s should be like. Oh how I wish the Caps-Pens game had followed the script of either of tonight's battles.

• What's up with Pavel Datsyuk? One goal in his last nine and five points in 11 games. He shook that can't score in the playoffs label last season but he's back at it this year. Which is the anomaly?

• I got a one-line e-mail from old friend Scott Pianowski early in the Detroit -Anaheim game. He summed it up in nine words better than I could myself -- "Chris Pronger makes Ulf Samuelsson look like Lady Byng." Now ain't that the truth; thanks Scott.

• Carolina may have won tonight but exactly how are they going to take on the Penguins with just two healthy centermen? Eric Staal and Matt Cullen can't handle that kind of load. Rod Brind'Amour's time away had better be short.

• Twenty-five playoff games, a $25,000 fine and one series-winning goal. Scott Walker is singing the MasterCard priceless song in his head right now.

• Speaking of Scott Walker, doesn't Paul Maurice looks like a genious right now? Playing Walker with Eric Staal and Ray Whitney really is priceless.

• Cam Ward has won six of six playoff series; the last four of those have all gone seven games.

• This post season has rekindled my love for hockey -- I can't wait for the conference finals. You can't really concoct better battles. Can the Hawks avenge the outdoor masacre? Which Staal will dominate? And best of all for us Easterners, no more bloody 10:30 pm left coast start times. Maybe I'll be able to get more than five hours of sleep a night now. 

• So... how badly are your playoff pools sucking right now? My final four was Detroit-San Jose and Boston-Pittsburgh. I'll be lucky to limp into the final round with any guys at this point.