The San Jose Sharks have not been at their best of late, winning only two of their last six games. The Pittsburgh Penguins meanwhile have been near unstoppable, winning six of their last seven with only a setback at Colorado. The Pens have been on the road since March 1 though and might not deem this game against a non-Conference opponent as important as the Sharks do. I like the price we get on the hosts.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Situational/Motivational - The Pittsburgh Penguins may have done the Sharks a favor over their recent games by defeating two of San Jose's Pacific Division rivals in the Ducks and the Nucks. That would count for nothing though if the Sharks can't pick up two points themselves tonight. They split their home and home series against Vancouver and a win here is vital for the home team to make up some ground in the tight race for play-off spots in the West.

2. Previous History - This will be the first meeting of the season, but San Jose has certainly had the upper hand historically winning 16 of the last 19 match-ups. The Penguins have been particularly uncomfortable diving into the Shark Tank, coming out of there as winners in only one of the last 12 visits.

3. X-Factor - Joe Thornton has set up more goals than any other Shark this season, assisting to 44 goals over 62 games. He's showing no signs of slowing down and has started March in a terrific manner tallying four assists and one goal over the first three games of the month.

Selection: This is a play on the San Jose Sharks (10*)