PITTSBURGH — J.T. Miller scored short-handed to cap a second-period rally, helping the New York Rangers overcome an early two-goal deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Monday night.

The teams play again Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden to complete a pivotal, early season home-and-home between Metropolitan Division contenders. The Penguins have lost 4 of 6 and trail the first-place Rangers by four points.

New York Rangers goalie Antti Raanta makes one of his 29 saves in a 5-2 win over the Penguins at Pittsburgh on Monday. Associated Press/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel scored twice in the first period of his first NHL game, but Rick Nash and Michael Grabner made it 2-2 before Miller, a Pittsburgh native, got his eighth of the season.

Kevin Hayes added his ninth goal midway through the third, and Derek Stepan also scored into an empty net.

Antti Raanta, starting the second game of a back-to-back for New York, rebounded after the first period and made 29 saves for his fifth win in six games.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots for Pittsburgh. It was the first time he started two straight games since Matt Murray returned earlier in the month from a broken hand.

AVALANCHE 3, BLUE JACKETS 2: Matt Duchene scored 1:49 into overtime in his first game back from a concussion, helping Colorado snap a seven-game home winning streak for Columbus.

The victory improved Colorado’s record to 9-9-0, while Columbus, playing its second game in two days, fell to 10-5-2.

Colorado led 2-1 before Columbus’ Cam Atkinson tied it with 6.5 seconds left, assisted by Sam Gagne and Zach Werenski.

It was Atkinson’s second goal of the night and seventh of the season. .

Semyon Varlamov stopped 40 of 42 shots, and Curtis McElhinney, starting in relief of Sergei Bobrovsky, stopped 24 attempts.

SABRES 4, FLAMES 2: Kyle Okposo had a goal and an assist, helping host Buffalo bust an offensive slump with three power-play goals in a home win.

Johan Larsson, Matt Moulson and Marcus Foligno also scored for the Sabres, who reached three goals in a game for the first time in 11 chances, since a 3-1 win at Winnipeg on Oct. 30.

Buffalo has won consecutive games for just the second time this season.

Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist and Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary, which is coming off a 3-2 win at Detroit on Sunday night.

Buffalo got two assists each from Sam Reinhart and Taylor Fedun, who has four assists in three games since coming up from the AHL.

Robin Lehner had 29 saves for the Sabres, and Brian Elliott turned away 28 shots for Calgary.

PREDATORS 3, LIGHTNING 1: P.K. Subban scored twice in the second period and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves to pace Nashville in a win at home.

Viktor Arvidsson also scored and Ryan Ellis added three assists for the Predators, winners of 2 of 3.

Rinne continued his hot November, improving to 6-1-2 on the month.

Tyler Johnson scored and Ben Bishop made 27 saves for Tampa Bay.

NOTES

HURRICANES: Carolina placed backup goalie Eddie Lack on injured reserve with a concussion and called up veteran Michael Leighton to replace him.

The 35-year-old Leighton is 6-2-1 in 10 appearances with Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte.

THE NHL IS taking steps to avoid another John Scott situation at the All-Star Game.

The league announced new fan voting rules that disqualify players from being named All-Star captains if they’re injured or sent to the American Hockey League. Scott, a journeyman enforcer, was voted in by fans last year when he was with the Arizona Coyotes and still served as the Pacific Division captain despite being traded to the Montreal Canadiens and demoted to the AHL.

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