03/28/26 07:00:00
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03/28 18:58 CDT Rantanaen scores in return from injured reserve, Stars top
undermanned Penguins 6-3
Rantanaen scores in return from injured reserve, Stars top undermanned Penguins
6-3
By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
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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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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