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Staal out again tonight, says he ‘just wasn’t able to play’ in Game 4

Marc Staal

Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers skates against the Washington Capitals in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 6, 2013 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Capitals 4-3. (May 5, 2013 - Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

Why didn’t Marc Staal play Wednesday after making his much-anticipated return to the lineup on Monday?

Whatever the reason, the Rangers’ defenseman wasn’t willing to share specifics today.

“I wasn’t able to go,” he said, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. “I’m not going to go into any detail of what happened. I just wasn’t able to play.”

Staal said he made the call to sit out following the morning skate prior to Game 4.

“On the ice it didn’t go particularly well, and as the day went on I just couldn’t see myself getting into a game situation,” he said.

Staal played 17:17 in Game 3, finishing with a minus-1 rating.

The 26-year-old had been sidelined since March 5 when he was struck in the eye with a puck during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Staal won’t play tonight in Washington either.

“I’ll wake up [Saturday] and go at it again,” he said. “With this thing, the way I’ve been dealing with it is I wake up in the morning and take it from there. I couldn’t speculate one way or the other.”