The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Nashville Predators on Sunday. The Predators and the Penguins are both near the top of their respective conferences and should prove tough tests for each other. Pittsburgh just happens to have the better situation here and it will ultimately show in the final score.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Trending downwards- Nashville has lost two in a row and four-of-five games heading into this matchup. The NHL schedule makers haven't done the Predators any favors with five of the last six games on the road with one home game directly in the middle of. The road games have been all the way in Detroit and then back to Colorado, St. Louis and Montreal so the Preds have really been racking up the air miles. This is the final game of the road trip and no one will be surprised if the Predators get caught looking forward to a home stretch coming up.

2. Sustaining injuries better- Both teams are missing key superstar players but it is the Penguins who have been able to deal with it better than the Preds. The Predators have real goaltending problems with MVP candidate Pekka Rinne out. Marek Mazanec made his first start of the season against the Avalanche. Carter Hutton, who is 2-1-2 with a 3.40 GAA since Rinne went down, could be back in net for this contest. The Penguins meanwhile have been able to win two of three without star Evgeni Malkin.

3. X-Factor- The Penguins are 17-7-2 on home ice this season and should feel confident in facing a Predators team that they have been in the last three meetings.

Selection- This is a play on the Pittsburgh Penguins (8*)