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Rangers' St. Louis Heads Back To Tampa 2 Points Shy Of Magical 1,000

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Talk about drama.

Prior to his trade to the Rangers last season, Martin St. Louis was Mr. Lightning. During his nearly 13 seasons with Tampa Bay he won a Stanley Cup, a Hart Trophy and surpassed 90 points on four different occasions.

He owned that town.

But the veteran forward eventually found himself at odds with general manager Steve Yzerman. The two reportedly had a falling out over Yzerman's refusal to put St. Louis on the 2014 Canadian Olympic team, which went on to win the gold medal in Sochi, Russia.

St. Louis felt a change was needed, and since he has a home in Greenwich, Conn., he positioned himself for a trade to the Rangers, a deal that became reality prior to the deadline.

Since arriving, the 39-year-old has proven that age is just a number. He shook off a slow start with the Blueshirts and helped them get to last season's Stanley Cup Final, registering 15 points in 25 postseason games. He's off to a great start this season, with 17 points in 20 games.

And now, as fate may have it, St. Louis finds himself just two points shy of 1,000 for his career. And his next opponent? You guessed it, the Lightning on Wednesday night in Tampa.

"I had nothing but great memories in Tampa and I'm sure it's gonna … I'm gonna feel it when I'm there," St. Louis said. "There's going to be a lot of emotion I'm sure for me. It would be a great place to do it."

The Rangers (9-7-4) are off to a bit of an inconsistent start, but have won two straight since losing to the Lightning at Madison Square Garden, 5-1 on Nov. 17. St. Louis, who is second on the team in scoring behind Rick Nash, has three goals and two assists during his current four-game point streak.

He said he's not too concerned about the reception he will get in Tampa.

"I'm not worried about it. I'll deal with whatever comes and play my game. I understand how people might feel, but for me, I had 13 or 14 great years there. It was just time," he told the New York Post after the Rangers' 5-0 win over Montreal on Sunday.

The Rangers are currently eight points behind the co-leaders of the Metropolitan Division, the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. The Lightning are in second place in the Atlantic, three points behind the Canadiens.

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