One of the stronger home teams in the NHL will host the very worst road team tonight as the Carolina Hurricanes are coming to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins. The Pens have dominated tonight's opponent over recent meetings, and I think they'll dismiss the Canes easily in this contest as well.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. The Penguins Offense - The Penguins don't just win games, they blow opponents away. 10 of their 15 wins this season have come by a margin of two goals or more and they have the best goal per game average in the league scoring just over 3.5 goals per game. Pittsburgh is particularly prolific on the power play, scoring on a third of its opportunities with Evegni Malkin leading the league with his seven power play goals.

2. Road Woes - The Hurricanes started the season with eight consecutive losses, six of them coming on the road. They started a five game road trip on Nov 18 with a win at Dallas, but have since lost three straight away from home. Breaking this slide in Pittsburgh won't be easy, with the Pens winning six of the last seven meetings at CONSOL Energy Center.

3. X-Factor - This game could be decided before the players even skate off the ice for the first intermission. Carolina is showing a minus-seven first-period goal differential while Pittsburgh is plus-15 over its first periods.

Selection: This is a play on the Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (10*)