NHL Roundup : Rangers ‘Clear the Air,’ Then Defeat Blues, 6-4

New York Rangers Coach Phil Esposito had nothing to do with the meeting that his team had “to clear the air” before their National Hockey League game against the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden Friday night, but he liked the results.

“Before the meeting, everyone was uptight, (but) everybody did what we talked about,” Ron Duguay said after the Rangers’ 6-4 vicotry. “This is what we have to do, not just to get in the playoffs, but to do well in the playoffs.”

Mostly, Duguay said, the Rangers talked about strategy. It apparently helped his game, too, because he came up with a goal and two assists.

The win improved the Rangers’ lead over Pittsburgh to six points for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Patrick Division.

Jeff Jackson scored two goals in a four-goal second period that broke the game open for the Rangers.

The Rangers, extending their unbeaten streak to nine games over St. Louis at Madison Square Garden (8-0-1) and their overall home record over the Blues to 37-3-4, were holding a 2-1 lead when they broke the game open with their big second period.

Tony McKegney started the burst with his 31st goal of the season. Jackson then scored his 10th and 11th and Marcel Dionne capped the string with his 27th and his third as a Ranger since coming over from the Kings earlier this month.

The victory was only the second in the last seven games for the Rangers.

N.Y. Islanders 2, Washington 2--Rookie Brad Lauer scored the third-period goal that gave the Islanders a tie with the Capitals at Landover, Md., and deprived the Capitals of the chance to pass the Islanders and move into second place in the Patrick Division.

The tie extended Washington’s unbeaten streak against the Islanders to five games, 3-0-2.

New Jersey 5, Minnesota 2--Gordie Mark and Kirk Muller scored 40 seconds apart in the second period to lead the Devils past the North Stars at East Rutherford, N.J.