The Pittsburgh Penguins just played what might have been the toughest part of their 2021-22 schedule, playing nine consecutive games against the New York Rangers, Columbus, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Florida, Carolina, Vegas, Nashville, and St. Louis. That is eight playoff teams, one pretty good non-playoff team that is playing pretty well (Columbus), and six games against top-10 teams in the league standings.
Maybe you thought it was a measuring stick stretch to see how they compare with and compete with the best teams in the league. Maybe just a tough stretch of games. Maybe a preview for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.