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New York Rangers Will Not Beat Tampa Bay Lightning If Martin St. Louis Goes Scoreless

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Martin St. Louis Henrik Lundqvist

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The New York Rangers won a Game 7 for the ages against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night on the back of their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. He has carried them throughout the playoffs, as the team in front of him has only scored an average of two goals per game, but they still find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season. They’re now getting set to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are one of the deepest scoring teams in the NHL. It is safe to say they will need more than two goals per game to beat this team.

Martin St. Louis is one of the main players who need to step up in this series. Not only is he one of the biggest names coming into this series, but he is facing his former team. After a messy divorce that saw him demand a trade last season, St. Louis probably hurt some feelings on his way out of Tampa. That could add some extra motivation, which at this point in the season just puts players into overdrive. St. Louis needs to counteract that.

He has not been very good on the ice this season. He has zero goals in 12 games. Despite playing in as few as five games, St. Louis has never scored less than three goals in a single postseason. Last season, he single-handedly carried the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup Final in two decades. The Rangers need to see that guy if they are going to get past the Lightning.

The Rangers currently have three players who have three or more goals this postseason. The Lightning currently have five players with that distinction, including Tyler Johnson with eight. The Rangers need more scoring, period.

While many will point at Rick Nash as a point of contention for the Rangers’ scoring woes, St. Louis needs to come through this series. They can survive with a less-than-stellar Nash if St. Louis plays like he did last postseason. If he doesn’t, then the Rangers are as good as eliminated. This will be an interesting series, one that could be the last of St. Louis’ career if he can’t show he still has something left in the tank. The Stanley Cup Finals are on the line, and the Rangers need a great player to play great to get there once again.

Nick Villano is the NHL feature writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.

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Watch Henrik Lundqvist Knock Net Off Moorings To Stop Game

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