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Tensions boiled over in the first period as Brayden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues and Brayden McNabb of the Las Vegas Golden Knights engaged in a fiery altercation on Monday night. With the Golden Knights leading 1-0 halfway through the period, the Blues were on the tail end of a power play when the incident occurred.
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In the middle of the first period, Brayden McNabb levelled Brandon Saad, sending him flying into the boards away from the play. As Saad struggled to regain his footing on the ice, teammate Brayden Schenn wasted no time in coming to his defense. Tempers flared, and before long, fists were flying as Brayden Schenn and McNabb locked horns in a spirited bout.
Despite losing his helmet in the fracas, McNabb refused to back down, trading blows with Schenn in a flurry of action. Both players unleashed a barrage of punches, but neither could gain a decisive advantage before officials intervened, separating the combatants and restoring order to the game.
Despite the fight igniting the raucous crowd in St. Louis, it ultimately failed to have a larger impact on the game. Despite leaving the game for the rest of the first period, Brandon Saad returned to the Blues' side to begin the second period, appearing fine. The Blues also failed to capatalize on the momentum from the fight, and the score stayed 1-0 into the mid second period.
St. Louis Blues playoff picture: What do Brayden Schenn's slim playoff margins looking like?
With a few close wins, the St. Louis Blues have drastically improved their playoff odds. The Blues now have a 35% chance to make the playoffs as the last wild card, and a 3% chance to make the playoffs as the first wild card. The Blues will be hoping for a losing streak from either the Nashville Predators or the Vegas Golden Knights.
A win against the Las Vegas Golden Knights would improve the Blues to 81 points, just two behind the Golden Knights and seven behind the Nashville Predators. Another thing that Blues fans may need to be concerned about is that the Golden Knights hold a game in hand over St. Louis heading into the final stretch of games, meaning the Blues will have to be near perfect if they hope to be playing in the big dance.
