The New York Rangers' 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, albeit keeping them within the Eastern Conference wild-card race, was an uninspiring one. New York spent much of the first and second periods shackled to its own zone and was outshot 39-16 in the game.

Lindgren was the heart and soul of the defense, but general manager Chris Drury understood what needed to be done — and still does.

Splitting their first two games after the 4 Nations Face-Off break should hardly matter to the Rangers hierarchy that watched the team get destroyed in Buffalo and barely escape Pittsburgh with a win over the last-place club in the Metropolitan Division.

Longtime New York Rangers Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey are heading to the Colorado Avanche. The Rangers are trading Vesey and Lindgren to the Avs for a package including Juuso Pärssinen, Calvin de Haan and two draft picks, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh first reported the full trade.

Artturi Lehkonen scored two goals, Casey Mittelstadt netted the tiebreaking tally with 4:09 to go and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Tuesday in Denver.

Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby teamed up to help Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off last month, and now the good friends from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, will be back battling each other when the Colorado Avalanche meet the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night in Denver.