Pittsburgh Penguins stars Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson have struggled to build chemistry in their first season together. PITTSBURGH – Heading into their match against the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins have only played 44 games of the 2023-24 regular season. That’s tied for the fewest number of games played in the NHL. While the Penguins are about to drop the puck on game 45, some teams around the league are closing in on 50. The Penguins are at least four wins out of a playoff spot [https://www.nhl.com/standings/2024-01-26/wildcard] but have multiple games in hand on just about every team ahead of them in the standings. It’ll be crucial for the Penguins to take full advantage of those opportunities, and it starts against the Panthers. “We’ve got to take advantage of the games in hand,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. [https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/topic/interviews/game-day-sullivan-01-26-24-6345645913112] “That’s an opportunity for us, but we’ve got to win them. That’s going to be our challenge.” Before heading into the bye week and All-Star break, the Penguins have games on back-to-back nights. The players in the locker room have said before they don’t look at the standings very often, but understand the position they are in. “They’re huge games right before a break, you want to take something positive into it,” Marcus Pettersson said. “There are so many teams in it right now. String a few together could put you in a good spot. I know we all look at the standings. We have a few games in hand, we have to make sure we capitalize on those games.” No matter where they sit in the standings, the Penguins understand and believe they have what it takes to make the postseason and maybe even go on a run. Captain Sidney Crosby looked to the Panthers and the run they went on last season. The Panthers entered the playoffs as the last team in, but defeated the record-breaking Boston Bruins and pushed all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. “Ask Florida, they were chasing all of last year and it worked out pretty well for them,” Crosby said. [https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/topic/interviews/off-day-crosby-01-24-24-6345498775112] “There’s different ways to get in. It doesn’t matter how you get in, you just got to find a way to get there.” The Penguins feel like they are already playing playoff games and fighting to make every game a must win. With games in hand, they have an advantage, and will look to utilize that playoff vibe to build a successful season. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Analyst Slams Penguins For Evgeni Malkin Deal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/analyst-slams-pittsburgh-penguins-evgeni-malkin-deal] Penguins Prospect Deserves Bigger Opportunity [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-sam-poulin-bigger-opportunity] Penguins Championship Window Closing Quickly [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-championship-window-closing] Penguins Need Trades to Fix Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-need-trades-fix-lineup] Insider Slams Penguins Playoff Hopes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/insider-slams-pittsburgh-penguins-playoff-hopes] * undefined * undefined