Only hours after the Tampa Bay Lightning “honored his request” with a trade, Martin St. Louis will debut for the New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While much of the attention will be focused on St. Louis -- as well as the absence of the player for whom he was traded, former Rangers captain Ryan Callahan -- it can’t be overlooked that this is an important game for both teams, each of which could still miss the playoffs.
The Rangers enter the contest on a two-game losing streak, including Sunday’s 6-3 defeat to the Bruins. The Leafs, meanwhile, are winless in their last three, including Monday’s 2-1 loss to Columbus.
Here’s what the standings look like: