NEW YORK — Brayden Schenn netted the decisive goal early in the third period, while Zack Bolduc scored twice, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Monday night. This match marked the debut of Jim Montgomery as head coach for the Blues, who made a coaching change after letting go of Drew Bannister just days earlier.

Schenn broke a 2-2 deadlock with his fourth goal of the season just 1:12 into the third period, firing a shot from the left circle past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. In addition to Schenn and Bolduc, Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich also found the back of the net for St. Louis, while Dylan Holloway contributed with two assists. Joel Hofer was strong in goal, making 27 saves.

For the Rangers, Will Cuylle was the standout performer, scoring twice in the losing effort, marking their third consecutive defeat. Cuylle opened the scoring at 8:47 of the first period, but Kyrou equalized with 8:15 remaining in the first following a misplay by Rangers captain Jacob Trouba behind the net.

Bolduc put the Blues ahead in the second period at 4:30, but Cuylle quickly responded with his second goal of the match and ninth of the season at the 7:20 mark. Once Schenn regained the lead for St. Louis, Bolduc added his second tally before Buchnevich sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 2:45 left on the clock. Shesterkin logged 38 saves throughout the match.

Several observations emerged from the game. The Blues displayed a much more aggressive playing style, launching a barrage of shots at Shesterkin—contrasting their performance from their previous game against the Islanders. The Rangers experienced this matchup without their seasoned forward Chris Kreider, who was sidelined due to an upper-body injury.

One pivotal moment in the game came late in the second period when Hofer made a crucial stop to deny Cuylle’s attempt at a hat trick, preserving the tie at two goals apiece. A notable statistic from this match was the NHL debut of Rangers forward Brett Berard, who registered an assist on Cuylle’s second goal; he was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 draft.

Looking ahead, the Rangers are set to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, while the Blues will travel to take on the New Jersey Devils on the same day.