Cracknell solid on return to lineup after scratch

Adam Cracknell, a healthy scratch for his third game with the Rangers on Saturday after having been claimed on waivers from Dallas on Oct. 9, returned to the lineup for Tuesday’s match at the Garden against the Penguins and did some solid blue-collar work in limited ice time.

Cracknell got 7:16 centering Michael Grabner and Pavel Buchnevich on a remade fourth unit as coach Alain Vigneault went with a traditional 12-forward, six-defensemen alignment in the 5-4 overtime loss after going with 11-and-7 in two of the previous three matches.

Vigneault said assistant coach Lindy Ruff, who was the head man behind the bench when Cracknell scored 10 goals and six assists in 69 games for the Stars a year ago, reported the 32-year-old, a 6-foot-2, 218-pounder, played the middle, “[Around] 50 percent of the time.”

“He’s used to playing center,” said Vigneault, who scratched Paul Carey up front for the second straight match. “He’ll be effective for us.”

Steven Kampfer was scratched on defense for the second straight game and fifth time in seven matches on the year while Nick Holden came out after having played four straight.

Back to last year’s playoffs, Tuesday marked the third straight time and fourth time in the past five matches that the Rangers yielded the tying goal in a five-on-six situation while attempting to protect a one-goal lead.

Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash were the forwards, with Marc Staal and Kevin Shattenkirk the defensive pair, when Sidney Crosby banked in the tying goal off Henrik Lundqvist from below the goal line at 19:04 of the third period.

The Ryan McDonagh-Tony DeAngelo pair was on from 16:03 to 17:23, followed by the Brady Skjei-Brendan Smith tandem from 17:23 to 18:02. Staal and Shattenkirk got on at 18:02 and could not get off as the Penguins maintained control.

Pavel Buchnevich, who scored the 2-2 goal at 8:32 of the second by wiring one from the high slot on the power play for his first goal of the season, played only 5:49 at even-strength. … Mika Zibanejad had eight shots on net. … Nash was held off the board despite creating a half-dozen golden opportunities around the net.