Pittsburgh @ San Jose preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 30, 2018 ) San Jose 2, Pittsburgh 5

The San Jose Sharks have stamped themselves as a serious contender in the Pacific Division due in large part to their success at SAP Center. The Sharks have won five straight at home and a season-best six in a row overall heading into Tuesday's contest against two-time Hart Trophy recipient Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

All-Star defenseman Brent Burns had a goal and an assist to record his 15th multi-point performance of the season during Saturday's 4-1 win over Ottawa as San Jose improved to 8-1-0 in its last nine games overall and 16-4-4 at home. The 33-year-old has scored five goals and set up 12 others in his last 10 contests overall to boost his team-leading totals in assists (43) and points (52). Burns collected a goal and two assists as the Sharks split last season's series versus Pittsburgh, with Evgeni Malkin notching a hat trick in the Penguins' 5-2 win on Jan. 30. The 2012 Hart Trophy recipient extended both his assist and point streaks to six games (two goals, eight assists) by setting up Jake Guentzel's power-play goal on Saturday as Pittsburgh saw its season-high six-game road winning streak halted with a 5-2 setback at Los Angeles.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN-Plus, Sportsnet1, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, NBCS California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (25-14-6): Guentzel (team-leading 23 goals) has enjoyed his tour of California thus far, as the NHL Third Star of the Week answered his second hat trick of 2018-19 in Friday's 7-4 win over ice-cold Anaheim with two more tallies the following night. The power surge extended the 24-year-old Guentzel's point streak to six contests, during which he has seven goals and three assists. Crosby set up Guentzel's short-handed goal early in the first period on Saturday, giving the former 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in his last 15 games.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (27-13-7): Tomas Hertl set up captain Joe Pavelski's team-leading 26th goal on Saturday to push his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists) and give him at least a point in eight of his last 10 contests (six goals, five assists). Joonas Donskoi, who was white-hot with eight goals in his last eight games, participated in Monday's optional skate and said he hopes to play versus the Penguins after he was dazed following a hit from Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki. "I feel pretty good. Nothing too serious," the 26-year-old Finn told the San Jose Mercury News. "There's a good chance I'm in tomorrow."

OVERTIME

1. Pittsburgh G Matt Murray has won his last nine starts overall and is 8-0-1 with two shutouts on the road this season.

2. San Jose G Martin Jones turned aside 27 shots versus the Senators to win his seventh consecutive start, which is one shy of the career high he set to begin his NHL career from Dec. 3-21, 2013, while playing with the Kings.

3. The Penguins are 7-2-1 versus Pacific Division representatives this season.

PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Penguins 3