The Pittsburgh Penguins play only eight times in February, and players have 14 days off to participate in the 4 Nations Face-off.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will play eight times in February, with five home contests, three on the road, and three of their four matchups against the Philadelphia Flyers occurring within the month.
Meanwhile, the 4 Nations Face-off will take place, giving NHL players two weeks off.
Thus far, captain Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson have been named to Canada and Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-off, meaning two Penguins star players will be skating meaningful games during these two weeks.
However, the rest of the team should be able to relax and recharge for the playoff chase, which will resume on February 22.
Outside of the 4 Nations Face-off, here are some contests fans should mark on their calendar in the season's first month.
3. Nashville Predators - February 1
The Nashville Predators made the biggest splash in free agency, signing big names like Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. Even though these two clubs will meet in December before the Christmas break, this early February meeting is worth watching.
It will be interesting to see where each team is heading into the final month before the trade deadline on March 8. Depending on the Predators' and Penguins' records and places in the standings, they could be buyers and use this game as a measuring stick to determine which areas need improvement.
2. Washington Capitals - February 22
There is never a shortness of storylines to follow when the Penguins and Washington Capitals meet. Ahead of the break, Pittsburgh will have a back-to-back against the New York Rangers and Flyers.
When they return, they host the re-tooled Capitals and Alex Ovechkin on Saturday, followed by a contest against the Rangers on Sunday. Considering the long layoff, this afternoon meeting will give the Penguins some time to shake the rust off before a gauntlet of matches against New York and a home-and-home with Philadelphia.
1. Philadelphia Flyers - February 27
Whenever the Penguins and Flyers meet, these games are usually the hottest ticket in town. These two clubs chased each other down for a wildcard spot last year with neither making the cut.
As mentioned, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will lock up three times in 21 days, but outside of the break, the Flyers will be the Penguins opponent in three of six games.
Furthermore, their February 27 meeting will be the finale of the season series and it will be the fifth to last game before the trade deadline. Depending on outcome of the month, March 8 could be a fascinating time for fans in Pennsylvania.