Rangers 6, Blues 3
NEW YORK -- Right winger Mats Zuccarello had a goal and two assists to lead the red-hot New York Rangers to a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
It was the seventh straight win for the Rangers, who are 9-0-2 in their last 11. The Blues (11-4-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Leading by one goal after two periods, the Rangers (12-2-2) cashed in on their first power play of the game as defenseman Ryan McDonagh put a slap shot through a screen set up by left winger Rick Nash for his second goal of the season to increase the Rangers lead to 5-3 at 2:44 of the third period.
Zuccarello picked up an assist to increase his total to nine points (four goals, five assists) in the last six games.
Defenseman Dan Girardi added an empty-netter with 1:34 left in the third to put the finishing touches on the Rangers win.
The Rangers needed just 4:54 to score their NHL-leading 18th first-period goal of the season as center Derick Brassard took a quick pass from Zuccarello from behind the net and beat Blues goaltender Jake Allen with a one-timer from in front.
Brassard's fifth goal of the season snapped a 170:53 shutout streak for Allen, who was coming off back-to-back shutouts.
The Rangers made it 2-0 on Zuccarello's team-leading eighth goal of the season. Off a Blues turnover in the neutral zone, Zuccarello took a pass from Brassard, cut inside Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and beat Allen with a high wrist shot blocker side.
The Rangers chased Allen at 14:38 of the first period on right winger Kevin Hayes' fifth goal of the season. Quick passes from center Oscar Lindberg and left winger Viktor Stalberg set up Hayes on a breakaway from the blue line and Hayes put a forehand through the five-hole to extend the Rangers lead to 3-0.
Allen, who made 96 consecutive saves entering the game, gave up three goals on five shots, and was replaced by Brian Elliott, who made 14 saves on 16 shots in his first appearance since Nov. 4 in Chicago.
The Blues pulled a goal back a little more than two minutes later on right winger Dmitrij Jaskin's first goal of the season on a rebound in front of the net.
Right winger Vladimir Tarasenko capitalized on a Stalberg turnover in neutral ice and beat Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with a perfectly placed wrist shot high to the glove side to cut the Blues deficit to 3-2 at 5:24 of the second period. It was Tarasenko's eighth goal of the season, six coming away from Scottrade Center.
The Rangers doubled their lead at 10:21 of the second period as center J.T. Miller's slap shot from the top of the left circle deflected in off Blues center Jori Lehtera.
The Blues responded with a power-play goal by right winger Troy Brouwer, who tapped past Lundqvist in front of the net at 14:21 of the second.
Lundqvist finished with 31 saves in the win.
NOTES: D Robert Bortuzzo and RW Ryan Reaves were healthy scratches for the Blues. C Steve Ott (upper body), C Patrik Berglund (shoulder), LW Paul Stastny (foot) and LW Jaden Schwartz (ankle) also were out. ... Rangers C Dominic Moore was a healthy scratch for a second straight game, the first time that has happened since rejoining the team. D Dylan McIllrath also was a healthy scratch for the Rangers. ... The Blues return home Saturday to face the Blackhawks. ... The Rangers head to Ottawa to take on the Senators on Saturday.