Martin St. Louis continues strong performance into playoffs

When Martin St. Louis stands on the ice next to his teammates, he looks like somebody’s kid brother. Coming in at a mere 5’9 and less than 180 pounds, in any other situation St. Louis could easily be mistaken for the runt of the group, the kid who was allowed to tag along because mom said so, the one who wants to prove to everyone else that he belongs. The difference between that kid brother and Martin St. Louis, however, is that any team would love to have a player as talented as St. Louis on their roster – someone who long ago proved that he belongs.

Throughout his NHL career, St. Louis has become one of the most consistent and enduring players in the league. In the six years since the lockout, St. Louis has scored 30 or more goals four times and has tallied 80 or more points five times – including this past season where St. Louis posted the second-best numbers of his career with 99 total points (31 G, 68 A), only three shy of his personal best of 102 points in 2006-07.

Perhaps what’s even more impressive is that St. Louis doesn’t let up when the postseason hits, he keeps his foot on the gas pedal and continues where he leaves off in the regular season. The same is true this year where St. Louis has five goals and five assists in nine playoff games – better than a point-per-game average. And this isn’t a once-off thing for St. Louis, this is a trend. St. Louis averaged more than a point per game in three of Tampa Bay’s previous four playoff appearances as well. In a time when goals come at a premium, St. Louis works harder and continues to be a presence both on the ice and on the score sheet.

St. Louis has been there before; he knows what it takes to win. As the Lightning look to go up three games to none on the Washington Capitals tonight, you can bet that Martin St. Louis will be looked upon to provide leadership both on and off the ice for a team looking to make an incredible post season run after missing the playoffs the past three seasons. At 35 years old, St. Louis has become one of the premier talents in the NHL thanks to his solid work ethic. Not too shabby for a player that went undrafted and was cut by the Ottawa Senators in a training camp tryout over a decade ago.