Ailing Rick goes scoreless final three games

Players and coaches always say nobody’s 100% at this time of year after a grueling regular season and the war of attrition that is postseason hockey. Rick Nash seemed like a player who was hampered physically in this series, missing two practices after the Rangers advanced to the second round for maintenance days, and at times in the six-game, second-round tilt not looking quite like himself after a dominant first round.

“Everyone’s battling around injuries,” Nash said after registering six shots in the Rangers’ 4-2, Game 6 elimination loss to Ottawa on Tuesday. “I don’t want to use anything as a crutch or an excuse.”

Nash declined to say whether he would’ve been playing if this were the regular season.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to be one of those guys that are complaining, but it was a battle,” Nash said. “I had some things that were bothering me, but it’s playoffs and everyone plays through injuries.”

The 32-year-old winger finished with five points (three goals, two assists) in 12 games. He last scored in Game 3 but was held without a point for the final three games of the series. when Derick Brassard was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking friend Mats Zuccarello in the face.

The Blueshirts finished the series 2-for-24 on the power play and went 3-for-39 across 12 postseason matches.

“Our power play was well prepared,” Alain Vigneault said. “Our guys knew where the opportunities would come from and at the end of the day we didn’t execute quickly enough. Tonight we had a couple of looks but it obviously wasn’t good enough.”