The Pittsburgh Penguins will play 14 times in November, with nine home contests and five on the road. They will also go on a three-game road trip against Metropolitan Division opponents in Long Island, Carolina, and Washington.
Here are some contests fans should mark on their calendar in the season’s first month.
Nov. 8 at Washington Capitals
Like the song from Beauty and the Beast, Sidney Crosby‘s rivalry with Alex Ovechkin feels like a “tale as old as time,” even though it’s only 20 years old.
Considering where each future Hall of Famer stands regarding their place among the all-time greats, these former Stanley Cup contenders are in situations that involve chasing milestones rather than rings.
Considering the Penguins and Capitals were rivals before Crosby and Ovechkin and will continue to dislike one another after their captains retire, these clashes are always worth watching, especially in front of a national TV audience.
Nov. 19 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Last season, general manager Kyle Dubas made the difficult decision to trade former 40-goal scorer Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. Since that day, the former Penguins star forward has returned to PPG Paints Arena, but he’s back in November with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Outside of Crosby playing against one of his favorite teammates for just the second time in his career, the Penguins will face the Lightning for the first time in 16 years without Steven Stamkos, who is now a member of the Nashville Predators.
Nov. 29 at Boston Bruins
On July 1, Pittsburgh signed former Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelyck, who played the first eight seasons of his career with his hometown team.
Growing up in Charlestown, Grzelcyk’s family works at TD Garden, the same facility Matt skated in as a prospect at Boston University and, of course, the same building where he played in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
For the first time in his hockey career, he’ll dress in the visitor’s room and be on the other side of the crowd’s cheers. Considering the long-standing rivalry between the two black and gold franchises, no contest against the Bruins should ever be taken lightly.
Related: Pittsburgh Penguins 2024-25 Schedule Highlights: October