NEW YORK — Derek Stepan broke out of a long slump with two goals and an assist, and the New York Rangers caught the Western Conference-leading Anaheim Ducks atop the NHL standings with a 7-2 rout Sunday night.

Stepan, who had no points in his previous 12 games, scored a goal in each of the first two periods as the Rangers found their missing offense while playing the second of back-to-back games.

The Rangers, Ducks, and Montreal Canadiens all have 99 points, but New York has played fewer games than both.

New York jumped on starter Frederik Andersen with three goals in the first period and chased him in favor of John Gibson 10:16 in. Chris Kreider and Carl Hagelin also scored in the opening frame, and J.T. Miller and Stepan tallied against Gibson in the second as New York built a 5-2 lead.

Jesper Fast put the Rangers ahead by four at 6:12 of the third, and Derick Brassard made it a season-high seven goals for New York just 2:05 later.

Cam Talbot got off to a rare slow start, allowing two goals to Anaheim’s Corey Perry in the first period when the Ducks had 17 shots. He was perfect the rest of the way.

Kreider got New York on the board first with his career-best 18th goal, 1:24 in, when he slammed in a loose puck from the crease.

The Ducks responded 1:26 later when Perry scored his first to get to the 30-goal plateau for the fifth time in the NHL.

Anaheim gave the struggling New York power play an early chance with 15:02 left when Patrick Maroon drove defenseman Dan Girardi into the boards.

Andersen made back-to-back, in-close saves on Kreider and Rick Nash about 50 seconds into the advantage, but fine passing along the blue line set up New York’s second goal. Yandle moved it to his left to Stepan at the point for a shot that got through Kreider’s screen and beat Andersen at 5:43 for his 12th goal.

The Rangers weren’t done yet. Kevin Hayes fired a shot that hit Hagelin and got past Andersen for his 16th goal at 10:16.

That ended Andersen’s night.

Perry got the Ducks back within a goal with 8:48 left in the first.

RED WINGS 2, BLUES 1: Justin Abdelkader’s power-play goal 24 seconds into overtime lifted host Detroit over St. Louis.

The teams reignited their old Western Conference rivalry, accumulating 36 penalty minutes in a third period that included multiple skirmishes on the ice. The Red Wings had a man advantage for the final 1:21 of regulation and the opening moments of overtime.

CANUCKS 3, COYOTES 1: Alexander Edler’s shot glanced off the post and bounced off goaltender Mike Smith’s back and in with 3:13 left to snap a tie, and Vancouver avoided a second loss to host Arizona.

NOTES

KINGS: Los Angeles recalled center Mike Richards from their Manchester, New Hampshire, AHL affiliate two months after his high-profile demotion.

Richards is in the middle of a 12-year, $69 million contract.