St Louis remain 3 points ahead of Dallas for 5th place thanks tonight's 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The win clinched the season series over their divisional rivals, going 4-3-1 over the eight game series. "Couldn't be more pleased, the team didn't play well but we got the two points. I don't care if it's pretty as long as we win." [Trotz]

After Eric Staal was penalized for roughing nine minutes into the first, Micheal Peca sprung Mike Fisher short-handed and scored on St Louis's whipping boy Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury has allowed 25 goals in the eight games against St Louis, with a GAA of over 3 and a SV% around .873. However, that lead disappeared 6 minutes later when Dustin Byfuglien scored his 19th of the year assisted by Modano and Kane.

After Kane put Detroit up 2-1 midway through the second period, Blues coach Barry Trotz called his timeout to rail at his players. The star players on the Blues managed to pick their game up, Pavel Datsyuk scored his 27th of the season while Mike Fisher scored his 2nd of the night and 30th of the season within a minute and 5 seconds to regain the lead.

The third saw Colby Armstrong score his 13th  of the year to equalize for the Wings but goals from Peca and Modry put the Blues two goals ahead. When new Detroit coach Dan Bylsma yanked Fleury from the game and replaced him with Holmqvist, he abandoned his original tactics and started playing desperate hockey. Patrick Kane added his 2nd of the night, but the late goal could not complete a comeback and the Detroit Red Wings were eliminated from any potential post-season action.

Though rumoured that Mathieu Garon could have gotten the start tonight, Evgeni Nabokov was between the posts today. "The results in previous games didn't go our way, we need that little bit of cushion between Dallas and us so Nabby got the start." [Trotz]

In related news, the bodies of Marc=Andre Fleury's family were fed-ex to Fleury's house tonight. Reports of GM Ian MacDonald at the local airport booking a ticket to Jamaica after the game have been confirmed, apparently MacDonald wants to get his golfing trip early. Jamaica is known for its beaches, warm weather and lack of extradition treaties with the U.S. and Canada.