Rangers extend winning streak at Blues' expense

NEW YORK --Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes scored in the first period, and the New York Rangers beat the St. Louis Blues 6-3 on Thursday night for their seventh straight victory.

J.T. Miller, Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi also scored for New York, which improved to 12-2-2. Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves.

Dmitrij Jaskin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Troy Brouwer had the goals for St. Louis, which had won three in a row. The Blues fell to 11-4-1.

New York and St. Louis entered ranked first and third, respectively, in the NHL in goals against per game. But the first of their two meetings this season was a wild affair.

By the first intermission, the Rangers led 3-1 and the Blues had made a goaltending change.

Jake Allen came in with a shutout streak of 165:59. It ended 4:54 into the first period when Zuccarello fed Brassard at the goalmouth with a pass from behind the net for a tap-in.

Allen allowed three goals on five shots. Brian Elliott finished with 14 saves.

Jaskin's goal at 16:40 of the first cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Blues, who finished with a 31-22 advantage in shots on goal, pressed New York after Jaskin's first of the season. Tarasenko's unassisted goal 5:24 into the second pulled St. Louis within one.

Miller's slap shot from the top of the left circle allowed New York to regain a two-goal advantage, but Brouwer's power-play goal with 5:39 left in the second sliced the lead to 4-3.

New York took its fourth two-goal lead of the game on McDonagh's power-play goal 2:44 into the third.