Before the St. Louis Blues dropped the puck on their second game of 2018-19 against the New York Rangers, they knew the scenarios that would clinch them a playoff spot. All the Blues had to do, regardless of other results, was pick up one point out of this contest.
Unfortunately, they looked like a team that knew all they needed was a point and played like it too. The Blues were slow out of the gates again, which is something they cannot do once the playoffs start.
The Blues were extremely sloppy in the first period in Madison Square Garden.