Hurricanes At Golden Knights: 3 Keys To The Game

It's not exactly what was expected.
But should the Golden Knights win tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, it would be Vegas' third five-game winning streak of the season.
Although if that sounds familiar and if it was expected, it wouldn't entirely be without reason. The Golden Knights have already won five games in a row before this season. Twice.
A win tonight, and Vegas would become the only team in the NHL to accumulate three five-game winning streaks so far this season. To do so, they'll have to go through a Hurricanes team that has lost all four games on its current six-game road trip.
Tonight's game, during which the Golden Knights will be hosting a Toy Drive at T-Mobile Arena, is scheduled for 7:00 PM. It can be seen on AT&T SportsNet. This is Cox channels 313 (SD) and 1313 (HD), DIRECTV channel 684, U-verse channels 757 (SD) and 1757 (HD), and CenturyLink channels 760 (SD) and 1760 (HD).
Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy will have all the action. Dan D'Uva will be calling the game on FOX Sports Radio. This is 98.9 FM and 1340 AM.
Here are three keys to tonight's game.

1. Fleury's Return?
Ever since the Golden Knights lost starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to injury in October, the date of his return was circled on the calendar.
When that date was, nobody knew.
Just whenever it came…both the team, and its fans, were waiting.
As of this morning, we have yet to receive word from Gerard Gallant if Fleury will be starting for the Golden Knights on Tuesday. Although on Monday, he said that this was an outcome that he "expected."

Should Fleury return, it could be a major boost for this squad, despite Vegas actually having gone 16-8-1 without their No. 1 goalie.
That being said, Fleury entered this season with three more Stanley Cups than any of the Golden Knights' other goalies had wins. This is a bona fide starter who has an extensive track record in this league.
And should he play tonight, Fleury's performance will be by far the top storyline to watch against the Hurricanes.
We'll have more on this news as it develops throughout the day on Tuesday.
2. Red Hot Again
To say the Golden Knights have been a streaky team this season would be a bit of an understatement.
Vegas started its season with three straight wins, and followed its first loss of the season on October 13 by winning five in a row. This was followed by the Golden Knights losing three straight games on an eastern road trip.
Then in November, the Golden Knights again caught fire, winning five consecutive games from November 16-28. Which was again followed by three losses in a row.
And since that three-game skid, the Golden Knights have won their last four.
Seems dizzying, right?
Well in a way, it has been. The good news for the Golden Knights is that the winning streaks have been longer and more frequent than the losing streak. And heading into a five-game homestand - Vegas is 11-2-0 at home - it would appears that the Golden Knights could extend their streak even further.
Although if the past is any indication, the team could fall of for a few games following a loss.
But with the Golden Knights as red hot as they are right now, they can't think negative thoughts. They need to focus on maintaining whatever mojo it is that they have now and keep it going.
Vegas doesn't play a road game until December 27.

3. Unfamiliar Foe
On a national scale, the Hurricanes are not a team that gets an awful lot of attention. And having missed the playoffs for a league-high eight seasons, there is a reason for this.
That being said, most in hockey consider Carolina to be a team that has turned a corner.
That despite the Hurricanes having lost four straight games and sitting in the basement of the Metropolitan Division, that Carolina has enough talented young players to get this team back into the playoffs sooner, rather than later.
Most prominent among them are two forwards, ages 22 and 20, who are putting up All-Star caliber seasons.
22-year-old Teuvo Teravainen, already a Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, has 24 points in 29 games this season.
20-year-old Sebastian Aho has 21 points in 29 games, after scoring 24 goals as a teenager last season.