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

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.

Stars travel to Philadelphia on Sunday.

Penguins visit the New York Islanders on Monday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Pittsburgh Penguins' Rutger McGroarty (2) trips Dallas Stars' Tyler Myers (57) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Justin Brazeau (16) deflects a shot in front of Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) blocks a shot with Connor Clifton (75) defending as Dallas Stars' Matt Duchene (95) looks for the rebound during the first period of an NHL hockey game 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)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Hundreds of employees at one of the U.S. Navy’s biggest shipbuilding contractors voted Saturday to approve a contract deal with Bath Iron Works, ending a weeklong strike.

Members of the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement that goes into effect immediately, the shipyard said. That followed an hourslong union meeting at a high school.

“We look forward to working together once again to deliver the Navy’s ships on time to protect our nation and our families,” Bath Iron Works, known for the slogan “Bath built is best built,” said in a statement.

The shipyard and the union negotiated for three weeks without resolving differences before the strike began last Monday, Bath Iron Works spokesperson David Hench said.

He said previously that the shipyard, which has built ships for the Navy for more than a century, “proposed a number of historic wage and benefit options” to bring the union and the company closer together.

The Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association is affiliated with the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, which is commonly known as the UAW and is one of the country’s largest unions. The BMDA members at Bath Iron Works are employed as designers, nondestructive test technicians, technical clerks, laboratory technicians and associate engineers, the union said.

Representatives of the Maine AFL-CIO confirmed the ratification vote via text messages to The Associated Press.

The union local said that while not all of its goals were reached, the deal includes improvements that are a win for workers. It did not give specifics of the agreement.

“Establishing not only a better contract foundation for the next negotiation but also developing an engaged and motivated membership; that now has this experience to bring to bear in any future negotiation or organizing activity,” it said in a statement.

The strike began several weeks after a morale-boosting appearance in which U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touted the need to boost defense manufacturing. It also took place during the U.S. war effort in Iran.

Bath Iron Works is a major shipbuilder for the Navy and was awarded a multiyear contract to make several Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers in 2023. Navy officials call the Arleigh Burke the “backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet” and last year exercised an option last year to add an additional destroyer to the contract.

The company did not respond to questions about whether the strike slowed production.

The Navy accepted delivery of the future Arleigh Burke-class USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., last year, and it is due to be commissioned next month, Hench said.

The shipyard had said on its website that salaried personnel, subcontractors and other employees who elected to come to work could be used to continue business operations during the strike. The shipyard’s total workforce is about 6,800 people, Hench said.

Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, Calif. contributed.

FILE - Striking workers stage picket line outside Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, on Monday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi, File)