Highlights of Monday's playoff games

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Rangers 2, Penguins 1

The New York Rangers built a two-goal lead before holding on for a narrow victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Left winger Carl Hagelin scored on a breakaway in the first period and center Chris Kreider netted in the second for a 2-0 New York lead.

Right winger Patric Hornqvist broke up a potential shutout for Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with a third-period goal as the Penguins out-shot the visitors 13-7 in the final frame but were unable to find an equaliser.

Game Four of the best-of-seven series is at the same venue on Wednesday.

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Wild 3, Blues 0

Minnesota's top line of Zach Parise, Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville combined to score two goals late in the second period as the Wild blanked St Louis to open a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Parise and Pominville each had a goal and an assist, and Granlund had two assists. Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk made 17 saves for his first career playoff shutout. Right winger Nino Niederreiter added an empty-net goal.

The Blues got a 21-save performance from goalie Jake Allen, but were frustrated offensively and lost their seventh consecutive playoff road game.