NEW YORK: The Pittsburgh Penguins got back to playing the style that made them one of the NHL’s best teams after Christmas.

They played defense. They got goals from their stars, a game-winner from 39-year-old Matt Cullen and a solid effort from rookie goaltender Matt Murray.

They also got the benefit of a video review on an offside call that saved them a goal in a 3-1 win in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series at the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Even the return of Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh could not slow down the Penguins or prevent them from taking a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

“We understand if you want to win games, that’s how you’re going to have to win them this time of year,” said Penguins star Sidney Crosby, whose power-play goal late in the second period tied the game at 1-all.

“Our mindset is playing the right way, doing the things that have got us here, The past is the past. Right now we want to make sure we are better every game. I think we took a good step here tonight.”

Game 4 is Thursday night in New York. The Rangers have lost four consecutive playoff games at Madison Square Garden going back to last season’s Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay

The Penguins dominated this one, limiting the Rangers to 17 shots. Most were not very good and Rangers did little after Rick Nash scored short-handed early in the second period.

In Chicago, Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a pair of impressive wrist shots, Brian Elliott made 39 saves and the St. Louis Blues beat the Blackhawks 4-3 on to open a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Jaden Schwartz scored a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period for the second straight game as St. Louis moved to the brink of its first appearance in the Western Conference semifinals since 2012. The Blues were eliminated in the opening round in each of the past three years.

Duncan Keith had two goals for Chicago, which dropped consecutive home playoff games for the first time since 2012.

Andrew Shaw had a goal and two assists, and Corey Crawford finished with 16 saves after getting into a fight with Blues rookie Robby Fabbri during a wild second period.

Game 5 is Thursday night in St. Louis.

Tampa Bay took a 3-1 lead in its series against Detroit as Ondrej Palat scored with 2:59 left in the third period to lift the Lightning to a 3-2 victory.

Ben Bishop stopped 26 shots for the Lightning and Petr Mrazek made 30 saves for the Red Wings.

Palat was in a perfect position right in front of the net to make the most of Jonathan Drouin’s pass on the game-winning goal. Drouin had three assists.

Nikita Kucherov had power-play goals in the first and second period to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead late in the second, but Detroit’s Darren Helm and Gustav Nyquist scored late in the period to tie the game.

Game 5 is Thursday night at Tampa Bay.

In Nashville, Frederik Andersen made 27 saves as Anaheim shut out the Predators 3-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Andersen, who started in net after John Gibson took the first two losses in Anaheim, posted his second postseason shutout despite taking Shea Weber’s slap shot off his head. He has 15 postseason wins since 2014.

Game 4 is Thursday night in Nashville.