from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

... the solace one can take from the Rangers’ performance in losing their second straight at the Garden and third straight overall, because if the Blueshirts advance to the conference finals, they will owe this year’s first-rounder to the Lightning (instead of a second-rounder) as payment for Marty St. Louis … in addition to the 2015 first-rounder and Ryan Callahan already deposited into Tampa Bay’s account in the March 7 deadline trade.

The return thus far: one goal (shorthanded) in 19 regular-season games followed by two in 12 playoff matches … and none in the last nine games after St. Louis scored twice in the first seven periods of the first round. This from a player who entered the tournament with 33 goals in 63 career playoff games.

It was even worse in Game 4 than those overall numbers might connote. For St. Louis suffered through an abysmal night, coughing up the puck repeatedly, unable to generate a thing offensively, and finally losing his man in front on the Penguins’ final goal that clinched it just 57 seconds after the Blueshirts had somehow drawn within 3-2 with 6:53 to go in the third despite generating a total of 13 shots to that point.

“This was probably the worst playoff game I’ve played as long as I can remember playing,” St. Louis told The Post after the game. “For some reason, I couldn’t do anything.

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