The break was nice, the experience in Sweden one the Penguins won’t soon forget.

However, despite some productive practice days, there’s definitely a desire to turn the page, to return to game action.

“It’s a lot more fun to play games than practice,” Kevin Hayes said after an optional skate Friday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

“It was good to get a couple practices in,” Ryan Shea added. “But after the first one or two, yeah, guys are ready to play again.”

Friday against the Wild at PPG Paints Arena will represent just the Penguins’ third game in the past 12 days after splitting a pair with the Predators in Stockholm.

It could be a key inflection point in their season, considering the Penguins were 1-3-2 in their previous six before one of the most complete efforts of the season in

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