- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Rantanen Leads Stars to Victory Over Penguins
Dallas ends 4-game skid as Bourque scores twice in empty-net goals
Mar. 28, 2026 at 11:59pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The Dallas Stars defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on March 28, 2026, led by Mikko Rantanen's goal and assist in his return from injury. Jason Robertson, Mavrik Bourque, and Lian Bischel also scored for the Stars, who ended a 4-game losing streak. Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, who were without injured stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Why it matters
This was an important win for the Stars, who had been struggling before Rantanen's return from injury. The Penguins' loss was compounded by the absences of Crosby and Malkin, two of the NHL's top players. The game showcased the depth and talent of both teams as they jockey for playoff positioning.
The details
Rantanen, who last played for the Stars on Feb. 4 before being injured at the Olympics, had a power-play goal and an assist. Bourque scored two empty-net goals to seal the win for Dallas. Karlsson had a strong game for the Penguins, but their offense was limited without Crosby and Malkin, who are both day-to-day with injuries.
- Mantha scored a power-play goal for the Penguins at 2:12 of the first period.
- Hryckowian tied the game 1-1 at 2:10 of the second period.
- Karlsson put the Penguins back up 2-1 at 2:58 of the second period.
- Robertson scored a power-play goal at 7:12 of the second period to tie the game 2-2.
- Rantanen scored a power-play goal at 10:12 of the second period to give the Stars a 3-2 lead.
The players
Mikko Rantanen
A 29-year-old forward for the Dallas Stars who scored a power-play goal and had an assist in his return from injury.
Jason Robertson
A Stars forward who scored a power-play goal and had an assist.
Mavrik Bourque
A Stars forward who scored two empty-net goals to seal the win for Dallas.
Erik Karlsson
A Penguins defenseman who had a goal and two assists in the loss.
Sidney Crosby
A Penguins forward who missed the game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.
What they’re saying
“It was great to have Mikko back in the lineup. He really sparked our power play and gave us a big boost.”
— Jamie Benn, Stars captain
“We missed having Sid and Geno out there. Their presence is so important for our team, but we have to find a way to win without them when they're injured.”
— Erik Karlsson, Penguins defenseman
What’s next
The Stars will look to build on this win as they continue their push for the playoffs, while the Penguins will hope to get Crosby and Malkin back from injury soon.
The takeaway
This game highlighted the depth and talent of both the Stars and Penguins, as well as the importance of star players to their teams' success. The Stars' victory ended their skid and showed the impact Rantanen can have when healthy, while the Penguins struggled without Crosby and Malkin.
