The Pittsburgh Penguins have two upcoming games against the Nashville Predators on Friday and Sunday as part of the NHL's Global Series. And this Global Series could not have come at a better time for the Penguins injured guys.
As of the current moment, the Penguins have Rickard Rakell, Justin Brazeau, Noel Acciari, Tristan Jarry, Caleb Jones, and Filip Hallander all on the IR. That is just about half of the Penguins top six forwards and is a recipe for disaster.
But the Global Series seriously helps them out quite a bit. The Penguins play these two games and then go back home to play a back-to-back against the Minnesota Wild and the Seattle Kraken the following Friday and Saturday.
The way this was scheduled, is a huge advantage for the injured guys. Having a big break between games gives them more time to heal and makes it as to where they do not miss as many games. It is like a secret blessing in disguise.
The Penguins need to get all of these guys back as soon as they possibly can. Yes, most of these guys were given a few weeks timeline to return as they went down. But it seriously helps their recovery time and makes it as to where the Penguins do not play many more games without them.
And the fact that the Penguins for now are staying afloat in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference, shows how well they actually have been playing without these guys. But the Penguins know that they need their guys back. The team just plays better and flows on the ice better in general when all these guys are healthy and out there playing.
Usually, Penguins fans would not be happy with this huge gap between games, but this time it should make them happy. It is a secret blessing.