NHL Roundup : Rangers Beat Blues to Extend Unbeaten Streak to Six

Rookie Ulf Dahlen scored two goals, and Walt Poddubny added a goal and two assists to help the New York Rangers extend their unbeaten streak to six games Monday with a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues in New York .

The Rangers’ streak (5-0-1) is their longest since a 2-0-4 run last October. They are 9-0-1 at New York against St. Louis in their last 10 meetings. After a 4-0-3 road streak, the Blues have lost their last two road games.

Second-period goals by Poddubny, Jan Erixon and Dahlen gave the Rangers a 5-1 advantage. At 4:37, Poddubny scored his team-leading 25th goal for a 3-1 lead, holding a rebound long enough to fake goaltender Greg Millen to the ice.

Erixon scored at 10:39 on a rebound of Don Maloney’s shot after defenseman Charlie Bourgeois failed to clear the puck. New York stretched the lead to 5-1 on a power-play goal by Dahlen at 15:50.

Dahlen struck again at 8:21 of the third to increase the margin to 6-1. Defenseman Michel Petit shot from the right point, and Dahlen deflected the shot for his 10th goal of the season.

A fluke goal by Paul Cyr gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the first period. Cyr fired a the puck off the right-wing boards on a power play, and, when Millen moved behind the net, the puck caromed in for Cyr’s first New York goal, at 11:22.

Tony McKegney scored off a backhand to give the Blues a 1-0 lead, and Brian Mullen pulled New York even 55 seconds later.

St. Louis’ Tim Bothwell closed the scoring with 19 seconds left.

Edmonton 2, Boston 2--The Oilers’ Charlie Huddy scored with 2:17 remaining in the third period at Boston as Edmonton salvaged a tie, despite the absence of Wayne Gretzky.

Gretzky, the league’s MVP the past eight seasons, missed his second consecutive game due to a sprained right knee. It was the 10th game Gretzky has missed during his NHL career.

The tie moved Boston, unbeaten in its last four games (2-0-2), within two points of the first-place Montreal Canadiens in the Adams Division. The Oilers climbed within two points of the first-place Calgary Flames in the Smythe Division.

Vancouver 7, Toronto 7-- Russ Courtnall scored an unassisted goal with 2:16 remaining to cap an eight-goal third period and give the Maple Leafs a tie at home.

Courtnall picked up a loose puck near the Canuck blue line and forced overtime when he beat goaltender Kirk McLean with a high wrist shot from 15 feet.