Dylan Garand turned aside 32 shots and Adam Fox contributed a goal and an assist as the New York Rangers ended a four-game skid with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Blues, coming off a dramatic 5-4 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, generated 33 shots but could not solve Garand until the final minute. Pius Suter’s backhander with 59 seconds remaining spoiled the shutout bid but came too late to alter the outcome. Joel Hofer finished with 28 saves for St. Louis.
The scoreless first period gave way to New York’s first goal just 1:49 into the second. Fox snapped home his second of the season from Tye Kartye and J.T. Miller to open the scoring. The Rangers carried a 1-0 lead into the third despite a steady Blues push that produced 11 shots in the middle frame.
Oliver Bjorkstrand extended the advantage to 2-0 at 9:01 of the third, wiring a wrist shot past Hofer with assists from Eeli Tolvanen and Will Cuylle. With the Blues pressing for a response, Tolvanen added an empty-netter at 17:59 from Miller and Fox. Suter’s consolation goal, set up by Alexey Toropchenko and Theo Lindstein, trimmed the final margin to two.
Special teams proved decisive in their absence. St. Louis went 0-for-6 on the power play, while New York was 0-for-3. The Rangers’ penalty kill stayed perfect against a Blues unit that entered the game with a respectable conversion rate but found no traction against Garand and New York’s structure. The Blues also welcomed Ross Johnston back into the lineup after he missed time with a lower-body injury.
The result moves the Rangers to 8-7-1 and improves them to 7-2 at home. The Blues drop to 7-7-1 and continue a four-game road trip Thursday in New Jersey.
Garand’s performance, coming after he had publicly called his previous start “inexcusable,” drew first-star recognition. Fox and Bjorkstrand completed the three stars as New York limited the Blues to one goal while controlling the critical moments in the defensive zone.
