NEW YORK — With just 14.7 seconds remaining in the game, Artturi Lehkonen netted the decisive goal, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a narrow 5-4 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday. Mackenzie Blackwood delivered a stellar performance in goal, making 33 saves throughout the match.

Cale Makar stood out for the Avalanche, contributing two goals and an assist on the winning tally. Alongside Makar, Jack Drury and Juuso Parssinen also found the back of the net for Colorado, marking their first win since the recent trade that sent leading scorer Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Martin Necas and Drury. Both Necas and Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon played pivotal roles, each providing two assists during the contest.

The Rangers were behind 4-2 late in the second period when defenseman Will Borgen scored at 18:05. This was followed by Artemi Panarin’s 21st goal of the season, which tied the game at 15:02 of the third period. However, the Rangers missed an opportunity to take the lead during a late power play. Soon after, Lehkonen connected with Makar, skillfully evading Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin to score his 20th goal of the season.

Sam Carrick and Vincent Trocheck also contributed goals for the Rangers, although this marked their first regulation loss since January 4th. Drury kicked off the scoring for Colorado with his fourth goal of the season as well as his first since joining the team. Makar quickly followed with a goal just 43 seconds later, putting Colorado ahead 2-0.

The Rangers responded with a goal from Carrick at 7:10 and another from Trocheck shortly after at 8:36, bringing the score to 2-2. Makar then scored his second of the game and 18th of the season on a power play at 14:36 in the first period, extending the Avalanche’s lead. Parssinen would later score to give Colorado a 4-2 lead at 16:01 of the second period.

Shesterkin finished the night with 16 saves for the Rangers.

**Takeaways**
The Rangers experienced the end of their four-game winning streak at home, now sitting at 8-2-3 for January. Meanwhile, Colorado has had success against Eastern Conference teams, with a record of 13-5-1 in their last 19 matchups.

**Key Moment**
A highlight play saw Blackwood execute a remarkable glove save on Mika Zibanejad’s powerful one-timer with just under a minute remaining in the third period.

**Key Stats**
Colorado’s defensemen have accumulated a total of 127 points this season, which includes 29 goals and 98 assists—the highest mark among all NHL defensemen.

**Upcoming Games**
The Avalanche will be visiting the New York Islanders on Tuesday, while the Rangers are set to host the Carolina Hurricanes on the same day.