Penguins begin the season at home against the Rangers. Here's what fans should know ahead of the game
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The hours are ticking down until the puck drops tonight at PPG Paints Arena for the Penguins' home opener when they take on their Metropolitan Division rival, the New York Rangers.
It is indeed time to do that hockey again as the Penguins begin the 2024-25 season tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Last year, the Penguins finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 38-32-12, meanwhile, the Rangers finished first in the division, the conference, and the National Hockey League with a record of 55-23-4, good for the President's Trophy as the regular season's best team.
As the Penguins missed the playoffs, the Rangers would get to the Eastern Conference Final where they would ultimately fall to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers.
Of course, one of this season's big storylines is the extension of captain Sidney Crosby.
Just a few weeks ago he signed a two-year extension with an average annual value of $8.7 million that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2026-27 season.
He is again joined by his cohorts, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, as they continue their run as the longest trio to play on the same team in North American sports history.
A player to watch coming into this year is Jesse Puljujuarvi who had a very strong camp, scoring multiple goals and was called "one of the best surprises of training camp" by Head Coach Mike Sullivan.
Sullivan also said he's ready for his team to take this ice and not do so on the road.
"Really excited to get the season started but to have the opportunity to start the season in front of our home crowd and our home fans who are so supportive of us, through the good times and the bad times, I think that means a lot to us," Sullivan said.
Those fans will surely be amped up tonight as hockey returns to Pittsburgh and there will be plenty of new additions inside the arena for them!
To start, PensGear has been expanded to about 6,000 square feet and there are now more TVs inside the team store so you don't have to miss the action while getting that new sweater.
PPG Paints Arena also now offers an expanded food menu with options for vegetarians and those who have a gluten intolerance.
This season will be the first in a multi-year partnership between the Penguins and Coca-Cola and one of the new food options is a barbecue pork sandwich with a Cherry Coke glaze.
Puck drops at 7:30 p.m., and if you're not headed to PPG Paints Arena, it will be a nationally televised game that you can catch on TNT.