The Red Wings don’t have anything to play for at this point in the season, haven’t for quite a while.
The St. Louis Blues do have something to play for in these remaining games: to sustain a good playoff position, to head into the postseason on a winning note.
That urgency the Blues had, plus the talent disparity between the teams right now, carried St. Louis on Thursday to a 5-2 victory.
Thomas Vanek scored early in the game to put the Wings in front. But from there, the Blues were the better team, way more physical than the Wings, using their size, and capitalizing with their greater offensive depth.