3 Things to Watch: Golden Knights at Hurricanes, Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final

(1P) Vegas Golden Knights at (1M) Carolina Hurricanes

Stanley Cup Final, Game 5

Best-of-7 series tied 2-2

8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC

RALEIGH, N.C. -- It's down to a best-of-3 in this unpredictable, no-lead-is-safe Stanley Cup Final, and the Carolina Hurricanes have home-ice advantage heading into Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights at Lenovo Center on Thursday.

The teams split the first two games of the series here before also splitting Games 3 and 4 in Las Vegas.

The Hurricanes evened the series with a 5-3 win in Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

"We're pumped," Carolina forward Taylor Hall said. "We're excited to be at home. I think our game has been trending in the right direction all series long, doing a lot of really good things. We feel like we're an in-shape team. We can go as long as this needs to go. The fact that we had three short series to start with (four-game sweeps of the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers in the first two rounds and a five-game victory against the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final), we're confident where we're at."

When a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 goes on to win the series 74.1 percent of the time (20-7), including 83.3 percent when the home team triumphs (15-3) and 55.6 percent when the road team is victorious (5-4).

"Who can explain some of the things that have gone on in this series?" Vegas coach John Tortorella said. "One thing as a coach you look for as long as they care, as long as they're trying, that's all you can ask. And there will be some crazy things that go along with it."

Game 5 will be a wild ride if the trends of this series continue.

All four games in the series have featured a multi-goal lead lost, most notably when the Hurricanes came back from a 4-0 hole to force overtime in Game 3.

Each game has featured at least seven goals, with Carolina and Vegas combining for 33 total, an average of 8.25 per game. If there are seven or more goals scored in Game 5, it will be the first Stanley Cup Final since 2010 to feature at least 40 goals through five games.

The Hurricanes (1.62) and Golden Knights (2.38) combined to give up four goals per game through the first three rounds; in this series, Carolina has allowed 4.0 per game and Vegas 4.25.

There also has been an odd discrepancy with the Golden Knights outscoring the Hurricanes 9-1 in the second period and Carolina outscoring Vegas 15-6 in the first and third periods combined. It's 1-1 in overtime.

"First periods have been really good for us; it's the second we allowed some goals and ultimately momentum to take over," Hall said. "A bit of a focus for us, but we like where we're at. The shot totals from last game were down a bit. The third period was really solid for us in defending the lead. Those are things we're going to have to build on. But, yeah, I mean, I don't think you can expect a nine-goal game again tonight."

A team has led 2-0 in all four games, but the game-winning goal has been scored in the third period or overtime in each of the games. The only time that has happened through the first five games in the expansion era (since 1967-68) was in 2015 by the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning.

And on top of it all, neither top-line center has a goal, with Vegas' Jack Eichel and Carolina's Sebastian Aho hoping to finally get on the board in Game 5.

"Now that we're down to the last three potential games, this is the important time," Tortorella said. "I mean, there are no secrets. They know how we play. We know how they play. I'm sure there is more of a concentration to get better at certain things."

Here are 3 things to watch in Game 5:

1. Ride the 'Bus'

Though Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour wouldn't speak on lineup specifics, it certainly looks like Brandon Bussi will make his second straight start after stopping 18 of 21 shots in Game 4. 

Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov were on the ice for Carolina's morning skate; Frederik Andersen, who started the first 16 games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, was on the ice prior to the full team skate.

Andersen was listed as a healthy scratch in Game 4 and could be again in Game 5; Brind'Amour said, “Everyone is available.”

Bussi has allowed four goals on 40 shots (.900 save percentage) since replacing Andersen to start the third period of Game 3. 

Assuming he starts, he has a chance to become the first goalie in NHL history to make his first two career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final and win both games.

"Everyone always talks about opportunity, you've got to do something with it," Brind'Amour said. "He's done nothing but earn every start that he's had."

2. Gotta have Hart

Tortorella clearly has full faith in Carter Hart despite a rocky first four games in the series.

Asked if the coach has any concern about the Golden Knights goalie, who has allowed at least four goals in every game and 16 in total on 115 shots for a .861 save percentage and 3.60 goals-against average, Tortorella quickly replied, "No. No. At all."

So while there is zero question or debate about who will be in net for Vegas, Hart's ability to raise his game is paramount to his team's success.

Hart had a .922 save percentage and 2.22 GAA in the first three rounds, allowing 37 goals on 476 shots in 16 games.

3. Staal at the hoop

Jordan Staal used the basketball analogy after Game 4, when the Hurricanes captain scored two more goals because he went to the net, stayed there, and used his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame to continue to wreak havoc on the Golden Knights.

Tortorella said after Game 4 that Staal "is killing us in front of the net" and that Vegas has "to do a better job around the blue" paint. When asked Thursday if he thinks the Golden Knights are simply not defending Staal hard enough or just not defending at all, Tortorella said "both."

Staal is the first player since Mike Bossy in 1982 to score a goal in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final. If he nets one in Game 5, he'll become the fifth player in NHL history and the first since Yvan Cournoyer in 1973 to score in five straight games in a Stanley Cup Final.

The others are Jean Beliveau (1956), Maurice Richard (1951) and Cyclone Taylor (1918).

He can also become the fourth captain to score six or more goals in a single Stanley Cup Final, joining Wayne Gretzky (1985), Frank Foyston (1920) and Newsy Lalonde (1919).

"It's good timing for the puck going in," Staal said. "I try to contribute any way I can, and it's a good time to do it."

Golden Knights projected lineup

Ivan Barbashev -- Jack Eichel -- Mark Stone

Brett Howden -- William Karlsson -- Mitch Marner

Tomas Hertl -- Colton Sissons -- Pavel Dorofeyev

Cole Smith -- Nic Dowd -- Keegan Kolesar

Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson

Jeremy Lauzon -- Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart

Adin Hill

Scratched: Brandon Saad, Akira Schmid, Reilly Smith, Ben Hutton, Jaycob Megna, Braeden Bowman, Kaedan Korczak

Injured: Jonas Rondbjerg (lower body)

Hurricanes projected lineup

Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Jordan Martinook

Taylor Hall -- Logan Stankoven -- Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers -- Jordan Staal -- Seth Jarvis

William Carrier -- Mark Jankowski -- Eric Robinson

Jaccob Slavin -- Jalen Chatfield

K'Andre Miller -- Sean Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere -- Alexander Nikishin

Brandon Bussi

Pyotr Kochetkov

Scratched: Frederik Andersen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mike Reilly

Injured: None