How’s this for a candid assessment?
“This was probably the worst playoff game I’ve played as long as I can remember playing. For some reason, I couldn’t do anything. ... I made poor plays and bad decisions. I have to forget about it and fight through it. I can’t go into a protection mode. I’ve got to be honest with myself. I was awful.”
That was Rangers forward Martin St. Louis, talking to the New York Post about his performance last night in a 4-2 loss to the Penguins.
St. Louis, 38, has not made the impact that was expected when the Rangers gave up Ryan Callahan, a first-rounder and a conditional second-rounder to get him out of Tampa Bay, where he had grown unhappy. In 19 regular-season games with the Rangers, he scored just once. And in 11 playoff games, he’s scored just twice, with no points in four contests against the Penguins.
Also remember that St. Louis is only signed through next season, and that just 10 players in the entire NHL are older than he is. For the Rangers, the trade with the Lightning was about winning now. Instead, they’re facing elimination in Game 5 of the second round.