Rangers cool Jets

Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 22 shots he faced as he heads to this weekend's All Star game while the home team got a goal in each period from Ryan Callahan, John Mitchell and Brad Richards in a comfortable victory.

"So far it's been a good ride," Lundqvist said.

"We just have to keep challenging ourselves to try to get better, and the challenge is to just stay on top."

It was an unscheduled appearance for Lundqvist, who was supposed to get the night off, but backup Martin Biron was ruled out with illness forcing the starter into his fifth consecutive start. It was also his fifth shutout of the season.

The win moved New York (31-12-4) two points clear of Boston for first place in the East and came after the Rangers beat the Bruins in a showdown on Saturday.

"This game worried me, after an emotional game in Boston, against a team that played back-to-back, that's a little banged up," said Rangers coach John Tortorella. "I'm happy with the group and I hope they have a good break and we get right back at it when we start."

The Jets (22-22-6), fighting to move into playoff contention, slipped to their third straight loss as they failed to pose any real offensive threat.

Ondrej Pavelec had 28 saves for Winnipeg, keeping his team within range until Richards netted a shot in the final four minutes of the game.