The Pittsburgh Penguins will be tested in December and will need to continue to carry their momentum.

After a big win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Pittsburgh Penguins may have finally turned a corner on the season and are looking to make a big push for a higher spot in the standings.

With the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division still extremely tight, the Penguins have a great chance of claiming some good position in the matter of days.

As we enter December, and after a mediocre start to the year, this could be a crucial month to carry momentum.

The month of December could make or break the Penguins as multiple huge games are on the docket.

Right away, the Penguins have a pair of games against the Philadelphia Flyers who are not only ahead in the standings, but expected to fall off at any minute.

The Penguins are behind the Flyers by just a point; if they can nab a pair of wins, they’ll leapfrog up the standings and likely find their way back to a playoff spot.

Two of the Penguins’ final three games of 2023 come against the New York Islanders; another team currently just barely ahead of the Penguins, but can easily be overtaken with some important wins.

The Eastern Conference is still only separated by a few points and the Penguins have a golden opportunity to gain ground all month.

The Flyers and Islanders are four big matchups, but another trip to Florida for games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers could make all the difference in a wild card race.

Same with a stop in Canada to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

With 26 points up for grabs before the calendar turns to 2024, the Penguins will need to take 18 or 19 of those points to really set themselves up for success.

Not only will claiming those points be huge, but taking them away from division or even conference opponents can go even further in the race for the postseason.

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