Just a few things that caught my eye:

• Five points. First career hat trick. How long before everyone acknowledges that Derick Brassard is the most valuable former-Blue Jacket in New York?
• Ever get the feeling that the Ducks-Blackhawks series is the real battle for the Stanley Cup? Same thing happened last year when the Kings beat the Hawks. The rinks really do all tilt west.

• Another first -- J.T. Miller notched his first career four-point night. I wasn't a fan when the Rangers drafted him and I don't think I am now, either. But I have to give him props for a fantastic game. Maybe he has grown up.
• Jonathan Toews is an absolute beast. I heard a commentator on Toronto's Sportsnet590 The FAN on Tuesday morning say Toews could surpass Mark Messier as hockey's greatest leader before too long. I don't doubt it for a second. Wow.
• Bruce Boudreau or Gordon Bombay -- who's the most impressive Duck coach and why? Quack, quack.
• Lateral movement. King Henrik Lundqvist simply cannot deal with it. The Bolts win when they exploit that; they lose when they don't. They discovered it again a little too late Tuesday night. I wonder when they'll discover it Friday night ...
• Serves me right -- I went to bed after the third period Monday night because I figured the Hawks and Ducks would still be playing when I woke up. OK -- that's a stretch, but those two teams tend to battle for hours. Who knew the game would be over in 45 seconds?
• Frederik Andersen was ghastly a good chunk of the night. But then again, it took the Blackhawks more than 16 minutes at the start of the game to figure that out. They didn't register a shot until that point. Now that's ghastly. Or just plain pathetic.
• If Ben Bishop -- all 6-7 of him -- can't cover the net then who can? It seems the Rangers have discovered he's vulnerable up high and they shredded him there.
• Ryan Kesler has one more year on his contract. Can the Ducks afford to re-sign him? Better yet, can they afford not to? Monday's performance was epic -- it illustrated why you love him when he's on your team and abhor him when he's on the other side.
• Hard to believe, but Fredrick Andersen is the most technically-sound goalie left in the playoffs. His movement is extremely economical -- there's never any extra. He just needs to keep his eye on the puck and his stick on the ice.
• I'm cheering for the Hawks, but even I have to admit that Flying V seems invincible.