Martin St. Louis' mother passed away Thursday. (USATSI)
Martin St. Louis' mother passed away Thursday. (USATSI)

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Professional sports make it so easy to lose perspective. Between the players and fans, there is so much emphasis put on what happens on the playing surface and the results that everything else fades to the background, but that doesn't (or shouldn't) stop real life from taking precedence. 

That is especially true for New York Rangers forward Martin St. Louis, who is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his 63-year-old mother, France, who passed away Thursday afternoon.

The Rangers are due to play the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 Friday night in Pittsburgh, teetering on the brink of elimination. St. Louis’ status for the game is not yet known.

This is one of those instances where the hockey has to be put aside. Despite the importance of the game to the Rangers, trailing the Penguins 3-1, it sure doesn’t seem as significant in the wake of such heartbreaking news for St. Louis and his family.

St. Louis has six points in 11 playoff games, but has yet to get on the scoresheet in this second-round series against Pittsburgh. If he is unavailable, it hurts the Rangers’ depth, but no one should fault him if he is unable to play.