By IRA PODELL Nikolai Zherdev had a goal and an assist, and the New York Rangers moved into a sixth-place tie in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Tuesday night.Zherdev gave New York its seventh straight 1-0 lead when he beat the first-period clock and then helped set up Scott Gomez's second-period tally that snapped a tie and sent the Rangers (39-27-8) to their eighth win in 11 games.