In truth, it was a pretty good effort from the New York Rangers against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, although they couldn’t prevent the Blues from ripping off an eighth straight win.
But it was actually a good start for the Blueshirts who continue to adapt to life without Chris Kreider, who is out 4-6 weeks with a fractured foot.
Mika Zibanejad continued his hot streak with his 33rd goal of the year, one-timing a Ryan Strome dish beyond Jordan Binnington.
It was the perfect demonstration of how deadly the Rangers can be on the man advantage, although the tide quickly turned.