Blues 5, Rangers 3: Captain David Backes collected two goals and an assist and Alexander Steen scored for the fourth straight game and set up three other tallies as host St. Louis improved to a franchise-best 4-0-0 to start the season.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored for the third straight contest and Derek Roy added a power-play goal and an assist. Jaroslav Halak turned aside 26 shots for the Blues, who improved to 10-1-3 in their last 14 meetings with the Rangers.

Captain Ryan Callahan scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal before tallying again with the man advantage to bring New York within 4-3 at 2:54 of the third period. Brad Richards netted his team-leading fourth goal and registered a game-high eight shots, but Martin Biron allowed four goals on 17 shots before being replaced by Henrik Lundqvist (16 saves) to start the third.

Backes gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead at 5:11 of the second period after accepting a cross-slot pass in the right faceoff circle before his shot sailed between Biron's pads for a 4-on-4 goal. Roy doubled the advantage just over 7 1/2 minutes later with a blast from the high slot that handcuffed Biron.

Richards trimmed the deficit with 3:04 left in the session, but Backes regained the two-goal advantage just 91 seconds later after redirecting T.J. Oshie's wrist shot from the outer edge of the left circle.

GAME NOTEBOOK: New York has been outscored 25-9 on the season - and 20-5 during its three-game losing streak. ... Callahan led the Rangers with six power-play goals last season and had a career-high 13 in 2011-12. ... St. Louis opened the scoring 5:38 into the first period after Backes skated through the neutral zone before wristing a shot from the high slot. Biron made the pad save, but Steen beat Rangers D Marc Staal to the puck and shoveled it home.