SUNRISE, Fla. -- For the second time in 24 hours, the Penguins will face another team desperate to get into playoff contention.
The Panthers might sit out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference, but they are one of the hottest teams in the NHL after winning eight of their last 11.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, only the Penguins -- 9-1-1 in their past 11 and winners of six in a row after crushing Carolina, 6-1, Friday night in Raleigh, N.C. -- have been better recently.
If recent history holds up, the Penguins will win tonight, 4-3. Those are the identical scores that the Penguins beat the Panthers by six days apart in mid-October. The Penguins are 11-5 against Atlantic Division opponents this season.
Here are my three keys to victory:
1. Home away from home.
The Panthers are just 14-9-3 at home, where they have been outscored 85-84. Their 31 home points rank among the bottom five teams in the NHL.
Fittingly, the Panthers rank 28th in home attendance at 13,683, or 80.3 percent capacity at BB&T Center.
That will change tonight as a large contingent of Pittsburgh fans will assuredly fill the stands. The Penguins have won 11 in row at home but this will be as close to home as they'll get.
The Penguins, who are 3-0-1 over the last three seasons in South Florida, can build off the energy of the "home" crowd.
2. Beware Trocheck.
Pittsburgh is certainly well aware of Vincent Trocheck. After all, he was raised in Upper St. Clair before moving to Michigan to pursue his hockey career at age 13.
Trocheck has since blossomed into a dynamic NHL star, scoring 20-plus goals each of the past three seasons, including a team-leading 23 this season. His 54 points are tied for second on the Panthers, one behind team leader Aleksander Barkov.
In 11 career games against his hometown team, Trocheck has a goal and four assists but with his team's backs against the wall, look for a breakout performance from the 24-year-old. Trocheck has five goals in his last six games, including the game-winner in Thursday night's 3-2 home win over the Capitals.
3. Don't get caught short-handed.
The Penguins might boast the NHL's No. 1 power play but they'll have to be careful managing the puck against Florida.
Though the Panthers have the league's 22nd ranked penalty-kill (79.2 percent), they have been able to generate offense off it. Florida has scored a league-best nine shorthanded goals. Five of those were scored by the highly underrated Barkov, who leads the NHL.