In his third game as a Ranger, Martin St. Louis has already shown his versatility.
In Sunday’s 3-0 win over the Red Wings at the Garden, St. Louis played a total of 17:33 — which included 2:01 on the power play, and maybe surprisingly, 2:08 on the penalty kill.
St. Louis, the 38-year-old winger who was acquired on Wednesday in a deal that sent Rangers captain Ryan Callahan to the Lightning, said he had killed penalties for different periods of time over his 14 years in Tampa Bay. He said he is entirely comfortable doing it, and with him and Rick Nash now both getting significant shorthanded time, the Rangers are rather dangerous with one fewer man on the ice.
“It’s an advantage if you know what you’re doing out there,” St. Louis told The Post. “I think Nasher has proven that he can kill penalties very efficiently. And when he gets space and gets going, he’s a guy that they have to be cautious of on the other side. It makes them think about it a little bit.”
Although St. Louis hasn’t scored a goal as a Ranger yet, he thinks his game is starting to come around as he gets comfortable with his new surroundings.
“I feel like I’m getting a lot of looks, we’re rolling here,” St. Louis said, his team now 2-0-1 with him in the lineup. “These are big wins for our team. I’m trying still to get acclimated, and it’s a process but I feel good on the ice. I’m not trying to judge myself on personal results, I’m trying to play the game the right way.”
The Rangers penalty kill hasn’t given up a goal in four straight games (9-for-9), and has ceded just one goal in the past 16 shorthanded chances over the past six games. They also scored three shorthanded goals in the two previous games before Sunday.
Derek Stepan had two assists to extend his points streak to six games (one goal, eight assists). He now has 17 points in the past 16 games — bridging the two-week Olympic break, when he played in just one game for Team USA — and is tied for second on the team with 44 total points.
“Step came back from the Olympics after not having played very much and his first day back, one of the first things he told me was that he wanted to step up,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “He wanted to take a bigger role and assume more responsibilities. I think he’s shown that he can do it, and I want him to continue to do that for us.”
Forward Derek Dorsett remained a healthy scratch for the second straight game and the third time in the past four. Returning from a broken leg on March 1, Dorsett has played twice in five games, but seems to be stuck behind Dan Carcillo on the depth chart.
Vigneault said he likes the way his current fourth line is playing with Carcillo on the right wing with Dominic Moore centering and Brian Boyle on the left.
Newly acquired defenseman Raphael Diaz remained a scratch, as did Justin Falk, who hasn’t played since Dec. 29.