NEW YORK The New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues entered the third period tied at one. This was a similar position to what New York had found itself in during the final two games of its Western road trip in Denver and Salt Lake City. Both those games, of course, the Rangers lost. On Monday night at Madison Square Garden, they held off the Blue just enough to secure their second home win of the season.
It's safe to say that Craig Berube caught lightning in a bottle during the 2018-19 season. The Blues were a talented team that was underperforming and needed someone to come in and point them in the right direction. Having a future Hall of Fame defenceman in Alex Pietrangelo didn't hurt either. In fact, a comically deep blue line and team lousy with two-way talented top six forwards, along with emerging youthful talent like Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, was a blessing. And that's before even discussing the unsustainably great rookie campaign from Jordan Binnington.
William Nylander found himself at the center of the action in the Toronto Maple Leafs' much-needed win over the St. Louis Blues, both for better and for worse. The star winger delivered the night's most electrifying highlight-reel moment, showcasing the skill that has come to define his game, but he was also involved in a miscue that made its way onto the wrong side of the reel.
The St. Louis Blues were an extremely good team last season, making the playoffs in a tightly-packed Western Conference. However, they did not get far in the playoffs. GM Doug Armstrong wanted to make the roster stronger without draining the prospect pool. He may have done that without breaking the bank. Depth is more important to this Blues team as they look for a better playoff outcome this season.