EDMONTON – And so, the streak scampers on – but not for a lack of trying.
St. Louis recorded 29 goals and 61 points with the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this season, but since being acquired by the New York Rangers nearly a month ago, he has only three assists in 14 games – critical ones at that in the heat of the unremitting Eastern Conference playoff race.
Simply put: It’s not even close to the amount of production the Blueshirts hoped for when they pulled the trigger back on Mar. 5, sending 29-year-old captain Ryan Callahan back in exchange.
These are tempestuous waters for the six-time 30-goal scorer, who, as a purveyor of positive reinforcement, has assumed all responsibility for the paltry numbers. Still, there’s some cause for concern, especially when a drought scurries along at this rate, this late in the season.
“Coming here (to New York) after playing in Tampa Bay for basically my whole career – honestly, it’s been a bit bumpy, but I love it,” St. Louis said. “The strangest thing about this slump is that I feel great out there. The production hasn’t come and that’s been incredibly frustrating, but the team is winning and that’s the most important thing.”
Indeed. But sooner or later, this has to be corrected.
Head Coach Alain Vigneault is not at all oblivious to the challenges pervading the roster. The lack of production from St. Louis has forced myriad changes, frequently affecting the personnel deployed on the top two scoring lines.
Scarcity notwithstanding, the Rangers – 6-1-0 in their last seven games after scoring a 5-0 blitz over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night – are sitting ‘comfortably’ in a playoff spot with just a fraction of the year left on the docket. That’s lessened the burden a smidge, but the nicety is of little satisfaction to a lifelong contributor like St. Louis.
He wants to score, and that’s that.
Reunited with Carl Hagelin and former Lightning teammate Brad Richards, St. Louis looked as dangerous as he ever has in red, white and blue, but his orange-clad counterpart, Ben Scrivens, was – well, he was Ben Scrivens, the man who’s dashed the dreams of many a sniper in recent weeks, even on a forgettable night between the pipes, largely due to the incompetence in front of him. Anyway, I digress.
(But seriously. Those Oilers…)
Without a doubt, the chances were there. “I know, right?” St. Louis mused. “I had so many good looks. I’d be a lot more worried, a lot more concerned if I wasn’t getting these chances, but I thought [Sunday] was one of my better games. Honestly, I’m a hungry guy and this [slump] bothers me like you wouldn’t believe, but it can’t be long now. Can it?”
Added Richards, reminiscing back to their Stanley Cup-winning days in Tampa: “Marty looked a lot different [Sunday]. He was holding onto pucks, making plays instead of dishing off early. That’s when he’s at his best.”
St. Louis played 19:56 and recorded three shots on goal in the win. If not for Scrivens and his Gumby-like left pad, there would have been a goal or two to reflect upon.
“As a line, all of us, we were really clicking out there,” Richards said. “We could have scored early on – the puck was right there on the [goal] line, but Scrivens got to it, somehow. If that goes in, he’s feeling a lot better about his game. But sometimes when you’re in these slumps, it takes a game or two where nothing happens on the scoreboard, but you’re getting chances.
“Everyone feels good because we got a win and he’ll feel good, personally, knowing he had a stronger game. But he’ll say the same thing: It’s not really about Marty or any individual. Right now it’s about banking points, and we’re doing that.”
Vigneault isn’t panicking, either, insisting it’s “just a matter of time” before St. Louis regains that world-class scoring touch. That’s the quintessential pat on the back in coaching terms, of course, an atta-boy teeming with positivity at a time when one of his top players could use a lift. But that’s the thing about St. Louis – at 38-years-old, boasting one of the most impressive resumes in the sport, he has a better handle on this than anyone else.
No fear, no distress. He’ll work his way out of this rut come hell or high water. Of that his teammates are convinced.
“I’m not going to lie to you, it’s probably not the easiest situation to be in, psychologically,” Richards said. “But he’s a professional — and more than that, he’s a great player and we’re lucky to have him. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that will show up soon and he’ll come up huge for us down the stretch and in the playoffs.”
If Sunday’s game is any indication, he’s right. It can’t be long now.
…can it?