With their season on the line, Game 6 was a big night for the New York Rangers. It might have been the most important for Martin St. Louis, however, as he scored a big goal on Mother’s Day not long after she passed away on Thursday.
This was his second game since he lost his mother and it’s clear that it’s been an emotional time for the 38-year-old winger. It also seems pretty clear that the challenging time has provided some inspiration for the veteran forward.
#NYR winger Martin St. Louis on playing on Mother's Day following the recent passing of his mother: "I know she helped me through this."
— Seán Hartnett (@SeanLikesSports) May 12, 2014
That 1-0 goal seemed to ignite his teammates’ passions:
Brassard on St. Louis: "He deserves it. When he scored, on the bench you could see everyone jumping around. After that we really took off."
— Seán Hartnett (@SeanLikesSports) May 12, 2014
#NYR goalie Henrik Lundqvist on Martin St. Louis: "I'm so happy for him. It was emotional. I got emotional. I think everyone felt it."
— Seán Hartnett (@SeanLikesSports) May 12, 2014
... And beyond that, it made an already involved crowd that much more pumped up:
Marc Staal on St. Louis goal: "It was an unbelievable start to the game. I haven’t heard the crowd that loud in a very long time."
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) May 12, 2014
Brassard: "I think the crowd was great tonight. That extra stride that you have when the crowd is behind you makes a big difference."
— Seán Hartnett (@SeanLikesSports) May 12, 2014
The Penguins get that “extra stride” boost back as the series wraps up with a decisive Game 7, but if nothing else, the Rangers showed some serious resilience in fighting back from another late-series deficit.