Two crucial Pittsburgh Penguins forwards cleared for contact in practice
Photo credit: Edit from The Hockey News
The Penguins welcomed back Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari in full-contact jerseys today at practice, as two other players continue to remain sidelined.
Today, the return of Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari to participate in Penguins practice marked the first time both forwards had stepped onto the ice in colored jerseys and participated in contact drills in quite some time.
When Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari initially got injured
Brazeau had been out with an upper-body injury since early November, while Acciari sat out after being bumped in a match against the Maple Leafs.
Brazeau has been playing well this year, scoring six goals and 12 points in 12 games overall. This included many games alongside Evgeni Malkin.
The expectation initially was that Acciari would not play for about three weeks, while Brazeau would not be ready for four weeks. However, both are now practicing, which keeps in line with that initial timeline.
Why not all the news was positive for the Penguins today
However, not all news from practice was positive. Anthony Mantha sat out for maintenance reasons, while Joona Koppanen missed due to illness. At this point in time, there are no plans outlined regarding when each player may return to action.
The Penguins may soon get the chance to bring back Brazeau and Acciari in time for the next games. This should be quite helpful in ensuring stability in lines and more scoring power.
The timing could not be more perfect, considering the injuries being faced in the rest of the lineup. The Penguins take to the ice on Thursday in Tampa Bay to face the Lightning, with the puck set to be dropped at 7 PM ET.
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