Rantanaen scores in return from injured reserve, Stars top undermanned Penguins 6-3

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Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen, left, returns to the bench after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Dallas Stars' Jason Robertson (21) returns to the bench after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) — Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen, left, returns to the bench after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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7:58 PM on Saturday, March 28

By WILL GRAVES

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his return from injured reserve and the Dallas Stars pulled away from the undermanned Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Saturday.

Jason Robertson reached the 40-goal plateau for the third time in his career and assisted on Rantanen's goal with a slick cross-ice feed to the right circle that Rantanen — who hadn't played since getting hurt on Feb. 20 while playing for Team Finland at the Milan Cortina Olympics — powered past Stuart Skinner for his first NHL tally since Feb. 2.

Mavrik Bourque scored a pair of empty-net goals late after the Penguins had pulled within one. Justin Hryckowian and Lian Bichsel also scored for the Stars, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Jake Oettinger stopped just nine shots, but that was enough to improve to 7-1 in his career against the Penguins.

Erik Karlsson, Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari scored for Pittsburgh, who played without franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby (lower body) and Evgeni Malkin (upper body), both of whom coach Dan Muse described as “day to day."

Skinner, making a second consecutive start following a solid outing in a shootout victory in Ottawa on Thursday, finished with 20 saves but couldn't stop the Penguins from being leapfrogged by the New York Islanders, who moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with a victory over Florida earlier Saturday.

Robertson and Rantanen gave the Stars the lead when they scored 3 minutes apart in the second period, each assisting on the other's goal. When Bichsel's shot from the point beat Skinner less than two minutes after Rantanen's marker, Dallas had a two-goal lead.

Up next

Stars travel to Philadelphia on Sunday.

Penguins visit the New York Islanders on Monday.

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