The Pittsburgh Penguins play 13 times in December, but fans should circle three must-see contests on their calendar.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will play 13 times in December, with six home contests and seven on the road. It will be an important month for the club, which faces 10 Eastern Conference opponents. This means it will be a good month to stockpile some points for the playoff drive later in the campaign.
Here are some contests fans should mark on their calendar in the season's first month.
3. December 31 at Detroit Red Wings
The Penguins began 2024 with a loss to the Washington Capitals on January 2. Heading into the new season, the club is hovering around the .500 mark with a 20-19-8 record this calendar year.
They will skate in 39 games in October, November, and December, ending the year with a New Year's Eve contest against the Detroit Red Wings.
If Pittsburgh wants to be considered a contender in this upcoming season, it has 39 games to prove to the fanbase that 2024-25 will not end like the previous two campaigns.
After a back-to-back against the New York Islanders on December 28-29, this road contest in Detroit is the final time fans will see the boys in 2024. Of course, there's no love loss between these two clubs, who fought to the end to claim the final wildcard spot.
2. December 3 vs. Florida Panthers
The Penguins have had the upper hand in their all-time matchup against the Florida Panthers, thanks to a 56-38-4-8 record, but the reigning Stanley Cup champions won their only playoff meeting back in 1996.
These two clubs will meet for the first time since the Panthers toasted their first Stanley Cup championship in June with a thrilling Game 7 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Even though there has been significant roster turnover in Florida, the core is still intact, including Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and former Penguins player Evan Rodrigues.
1. December 23 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh begins its regular season on October 9 against the New York Rangers. In the first 35 games of the season, they will play every competitor in the Metropolitan Division before finally playing their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Penguins will face the Flyers on December 23 at PPG Paints Arena, hours before Christmas Eve, in the first of four meetings.
Interestingly, this season's series of Pennsylvania clubs will climax in February, with three contests in 19 days. Last season, these two teams battled for a playoff spot, splitting the season series with two wins apiece.