from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

Last season, he chipped in 12 points, including two game-winners during the Rangers’ run to the Stanley Cup finals. This season, the Rangers took a 2-1 series lead Monday night and are preparing for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Already, with the Rangers again picked by many to make a long playoff run, Brassard leads the way with two goals in three games.

It's not just his offense that makes the nifty center with the quick release so impressive. In fact, coach Alain Vigneault starts answering the question about Brassard's evolution as a complete player before it is fully asked.

“He’s become a very dependable two-way hockey player,” Vigneault said Tuesday. "His knowledge of the game has really improved, his confidence. He’s going up against all the top lines in the league, and he’s doing a real good job for us and we need that. We needed that evolution, and we got it from him.

"I would say it’s probably a process of a normal young player that’s got a lot of upside offensively but needs to learn to become an effective NHL player, and that’s what Brass has done."

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