The Pittsburgh Penguins will play 14 times in January, with five home contests and nine on the road.
The new year will begin with two road games followed by a homestand with five contests before the team travels across the continent to finish the month in California and Utah.
Here are some contests fans should mark on their calendar in the season’s first month.
3. January 9 vs. Edmonton Oilers
The Penguins will travel to Edmonton in October for another Sidney Crosby vs. Connor McDavid showdown. Their second meeting will take place in January at PPG Paints Arena.
Considering Crosby has yet to sign an extension and has an uncertain future, this could be the final time they meet while playing with their respective teams.
However, as a glass-half-full fan, I believe this contest will be one of many more.
2. January 18 vs. Washington Capitals
Since the NHL lockout in 2004-25, the league’s most discussed rivalry has been between Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Now, neither will admit they are “rivals,” but each is chasing their own respective milestones this season, and when they meet, both tend to take their performances to the next level.
By this meeting, Crosby will have skated in his 1,300th game and scored his 1,600th point and 600th goal. But Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s goal record and needs just 41 more goals. How much closer will The Great 8 be by this mid-January showdown?
1. January 29 vs. Utah Hockey Club
The Penguins hit the road on January 17 in Buffalo, then head to Washington before going to California. Their first stop is Los Angeles, followed by Anaheim, then up north to Seattle. They stop in San Jose before heading to Salt Lake City for the first time.
The former Coyotes are a team on the rise, and they have re-tooled their roster with hopes of becoming a playoff team by the end of the season. Considering that the Delta Center is a basketball arena, it will be interesting for the Penguins and their fans on the road to see how it is retrofitted for NHL hockey.
Even though the Pittsburgh and Arizona rivalry is over, the black and gold can begin a new chapter with a new franchise in front of fans experiencing Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and maybe even Rutger McGroarty for the first time.
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