NEW YORK -- Rick Nash scored again Sunday.
This time, there's no need to pause to ask what's wrong with the rest of the New York Rangers. This time, there was little wrong in a 4-0 win over the San Jose Sharks.
Nash, who last week became the first player in Rangers history with a goal in each of the first four games of a season, now has seven goals in the first six games to lead the NHL. He made a little more Rangers history Sunday, because his second period goal came less than four seconds after Martin St. Louis scored, giving the Rangers the quickest two non-empty net goals they've ever had.
The goals and the 3-0 two-period lead were deserved, as the Rangers had dominated play against a Sharks team that had yet to lose in regulation. The Rangers no doubt benefited from being the fresher team (they hadn't played in three days, while the Sharks played Saturday night in New Jersey), but this was still an impressive performance and a pleasant end to a rocky stretch of four straight home games.
First points: Carl Hagelin's goal at 13:01 of the second period wasn't only the first of Sunday's game. It was also the first point of the season for Hagelin, and also for John Moore and Dominic Moore, who had the two assists. Nash (6) and Derick Brassard (3) had combined for nine of the 13 goals the Rangers scored in the season's first five games.
St. Louis also scored his first goal of the season, making it 2-0 when he poked the puck between goalie Alex Stalock's skate and the left goalpost at 19:16 of the second period. Nash followed by shooting the puck in off the faceoff, and when Stalock allowed a long rebound, Nash fired it in for a 3-0 lead.
The Rangers scored two goals four seconds apart on Oct. 9, 1991 against the New York Islanders (Chris King and James Patrick), but Patrick's goal was into an empty net.
Kevin Hayes scored the Rangers' fourth goal, earning his first NHL point, at 7:18 of the third period.
Another first: Last week, Henrik Lundqvist allowed six goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his NHL career. Sunday, Lundqvist recorded his 51st career shutout, his first of this season.
Girardi hurt: Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi missed almost all of the third period with an injury. Girardi went down in the Ranger zone early in the period, and didn't return.
Facing off: The Rangers weren't happy with their center play in the first five games. But after a couple of changes, it was much improved Sunday. One part of the improvement: The Rangers dominated the faceoffs Sunday, winning 74 percent of them over the first two periods.
Waved off: The Rangers had a first-period goal waved off because referee Ghislain Hebert said he blew his whistle before Ryan Malone pushed the puck under Stalock's pads. Had the goal counted, it would have been the first allowed by the Sharks in the first period this season.
Cleared off the line: Sharks defenseman Jason Demers beat Lundqvist midway through the first period. But as the puck sat on the goal line, Rangers defenseman Matt Hunwick was able to reach in and clear it away.
Sticking up: Tanner Glass fought San Jose's Andrew Desjardins early in the third period, after Desjardins cross-checked Mueller.
Changes, and no Duke: With St. Louis moving back to right wing for the first time this season, and with the newly promoted Mueller making his first appearance, 19-year-old Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch. Duclair has shown promise, but what the Rangers were doing overall wasn't working, causing coach Alain Vigneault to use his sixth different lineup in six games.
If the Rangers decide they can't find enough time for Duclair, they could return him to his junior team in Quebec for this season.
Harvey highlights: Mets pitcher Matt Harvey was back on the mound Sunday -- on the MSG video board. The Rangers showed a Harvey strikeout from 2013, then cut to a live shot of Harvey in the stands.
What's next: The Rangers play their next two games on the road, with a Tuesday game in Newark against the New Jersey Devils followed by a Saturday night game in Montreal against the Canadiens.