NHL ROUNDUP : Rangers Win Fifth in a Row, 7-1

Mike Gartner scored twice in a 1:26 span in the first period and the New York Rangers won their fifth in a row with a 7-1 rout of the slumping New Jersey Devils on Monday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

Tony Amonte added two power-play goals as the Rangers ended a three-game losing streak in the Meadowlands Arena and won for only the fourth time in their last 13 visits.

More importantly for the first-place Rangers, the two points gave them 88 for the season and allowed them to open a 13-point lead over the third-place Devils in the Patrick Division.

St. Louis 5, Vancouver 3--Brett Hull had his eighth hat trick of the season to lead the Blues at Vancouver. Hull scored 4:55 into the game and then added two goals in the second period to run his season total to 66.

The Blues led, 5-1, until Jim Sandlak scored twice to cut the lead to two with 17:15 left.