Will The Flyers Stay Hot? 5 Things To Watch Against The Hurricanes

The past three games have been the best three-game stretch the Flyers have put together this season. Sergei Bobrovsky has looked stellar in net for all three games and Claude Giroux continues to shine, whether the team be on the penalty kill or not.

The question is can the Flyers continue their hot streak and make it four in a row against Carolina tonight? They will have to do so without the help of top scorer Daniel Briere, who will start a three-game suspension tonight for his cross check against Frans Nielson of the New York Islanders

1) How the Team Plays Without Daniel Briere

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 26: Ryan Miller #30 of the Buffalo Sabres makes a second period save against Daniel Briere #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers on October 26, 2010 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Like I mentioned earlier, Daniel Briere begins his three-game suspension tonight. How will the Flyers play without one of their leading goal scorers?

Either Jeff Carter or Darroll Powe will make the move to Briere's center position. Carter played well against the Islanders, netting two goals, while Powe finally got his first goal of the season against Buffalo.

2) The Debut Of Rookie Eric Wellwood

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ST PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 25: Casey Wellman #17 of the Minnesota Wild skates around Eric Wellwood#19 of the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at Xcel Energy Center on September 25, 2010 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Flyers defeated the Wild 3-2 in a

With Briere out of the lineup, the Flyers called up 20-year-old rookie Eric Wellwood from the Phantoms to make his NHL debut. Wellwood currently has three goals and one assist for the Phantoms and also is a two-time Memorial Cup Champion.

The Flyers drafted Wellwood in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL draft. Wellwood will most likely be on either the third or fourth line tonight and it will be interesting to see how well he fits in with his fellow line mates.

3) Will Carolina Continue Its Road Winning Streak

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 20: Eric Staal #12 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on October 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Kings defeated the Hurricanes 4-3. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

"There's no place like home, there's no place like home."

Don't tell that to the Carolina Hurricanes! The Canes were happy to have their first home games of the season last week. That happy feeling did not last long because the Canes were shut out by both Washington and Pittsburgh.

The last home victory (technically) was their win against Minnesota in Helsinki, Finland (in which they still needed a shootout to get the 'W') when they played as a home team. The Canes have won their last two away games against Phoenix and the Rangers and are looking to make it three straight road wins against the Flyers tonight.

4) Does Peter Laviolette Stick With the Hot Goalie

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 26: Sergei Bobrovsky #35 of the Philadelphia Flyers looks on against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period on October 26, 2010 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers defeated the Sabres 6-3. (Photo by

In their three-game winning streak, Sergei Bobrovsky has started all three games. In those three games, the "Iron Curtain" has looked great, none better than his last performance against the Islanders, only allowing one goal on 31 shots.

The three games that Bobrovsky has started have been the most consecutive starts that either Bobrovsky or veteran Brian Boucher have started this year. Will head coach Peter Laviolette stick with the hot goalie Bobrovsky? Or will he look to give the young 22-year-old net minder a rest and let Boucher start?

5) Will the Flyers' Winning Streak Continue

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 16: Jeff Carter #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Wells Fargo Center on October 16, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The big question tonight is whether or not the Flyers will continue to play great hockey and continue their winning streak into November? It is clear that in this three game stretch, the Flyers have played their best hockey all season.

With the moves being made to deal with Daniel Briere's suspension, it should be interesting to see the forward line combinations that Peter Laviolette will come up with. I can see Jeff Carter taking over the center position on the second line, and Laviolette keeping Giroux and Richards on the first line. All questions aside, tonight should be an interesting beginning to a November full of great hockey!