The Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights had Tuesday's date circled for a long time. The game at PPG Paints Arena marks the return of longtime Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

As emotional as that will be, there's an aspect to the matchup that is likely a surprise to most in the hockey world compared with what was expected entering the season.

Vegas (35-13-4) is leading the Western Conference in its first NHL season. The expansion team isn't stumbling and bumbling the way many first-year pro sports teams have.

Coach Gerard Gallant has gotten used to being asked at every stop the team makes about the Golden Knights' sustained play at a high level. He has a standard answer, pointing to the club's 8-1 start in October.

"I think the guys built a lot of confidence from Day One," he said Monday after the team practiced in Pittsburgh. "When you get off to a start like we got off to, the guys believe in themselves. That's the biggest thing. They believe in themselves. They believe we're a good team."

In fact, Vegas has a better record than the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins (29-22-3), who are third in the tight Metropolitan Division.

So instead of a juggernaut against a newbie, Tuesday's game pits two of the top teams in the league.

"What they've done this year is unbelievable," Pittsburgh defenseman Ian Cole said of the Golden Knights.

"Their record obviously shows that, but they are certainly a team that they never give up. I don't know how many late-game rallies they've had, but it seems like you'll look at a scoreboard and they're down 2-1 and you think, 'Hey, they might actually lose tonight.' And they come back and win 3-2. And they've done it multiple times this year."

Vegas is 5-7-1 when trailing after two periods.

"From the start, the expectations weren't that high," Fleury said. "We have a good group of guys here, good leadership group, guys that have played a lot, been through a lot and won games.

"I don't think any of us wanted to be satisfied with just being OK. I think we wanted more than that. Life in hockey goes quick. I think you've got to make the most out of it. Winning makes a lot of things better, for sure."

Fleury, selected from Pittsburgh's roster by Vegas in its expansion draft last summer, arrived there as the promoted face of the new franchise. He missed several weeks earlier this season because of a concussion, but his numbers are stellar -- 15-4-2, 1.84 goals-against average, .939 save percentage.

He and the Golden Knights beat Pittsburgh 2-1 in their first meeting, but that was in Las Vegas.

It's expected to be an emotional return for Fleury to PPG Paints Arena after he won three Cups with the Penguins and set club records for wins (375), shutouts (44), playoffs wins (62) and postseason shutouts (10).

"It's going to be special," Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang said. "He was a big part of our team for a long time, a great teammate. He's a guy that was loved by the fans also. It's going to be an emotional night for him especially and for a bunch of guys who played with him for a long time."

If Fleury gives up a goal to his longtime close friend, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, it will stand as the 400th of Crosby's career.

Fleury will receive his latest Cup ring from the Penguins after Tuesday's morning skate, and the Penguins will air a tribute video to him during the game's first TV timeout.

"You always want to win, but I don't want to block everything out either," Fleury said. "It's going to be a special moment for me, playing the first game back here. I want remember it and remember my time here."

On the injury front, the Penguins announced Monday that forward Patric Hornqvist is week-to-week with a lower-body injury after being injured by a hit from defenseman Brooks Orpik in Friday's win over the Washington Capitals.

Hornqvist is fourth on the Penguins with 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) this season.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When Brian Gionta last played in the Olympics in 2006, his final NHL game before the break allowed him just three days to fly to Italy and get acclimated before suiting up for Team USA.

This time around, the semi-retired U.S. captain and his Olympic teammates will get four whole practice days before opening the tournament against Slovenia on Feb. 14.

''With the NHL setup, you fly over there, you have a small window to practice in and then you're right into the games,'' Gionta said. ''We've had the added benefit of being able to go over to the Deutschland Cup and be together for that week. A lot of the guys that were there are on the team and have a good understanding of each other. But I think that's a nice change, I guess, from previous Olympics.''

Still, the U.S. lost all three games at that tournament in November and didn't score more than two goals in any of them. Preparation under a new coach, learning the nuances and habits of new teammates are certainly key, but every men's hockey team going to South Korea is in a much different situation from any previous Olympics.

Before NHL players began participating in 1998, national teams were centralized and spent months together - much like women's teams do now. In contrast, the past five Olympics featured quick turnarounds when it came to training because so many players were also in the NHL, which decided this time around not to pause its 82-game regular season.

However, no NHL didn't automatically translate into more practice time as the teams were put together.

Almost everyone on an Olympic roster is playing professionally or in college, so there isn't much of an opportunity for training camps - though Canada, Russia and other countries are making the most of any time they have to get together. Russia's Kontinental Hockey League has its final games before the Olympic break Jan. 28, and other European leagues will release players shortly after that so they can prepare.

Chock full of stars from the KHL, including former NHL players Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, Russia should be the first to have its full team together and will play exhibition games in Moscow on Jan. 30 and Feb. 4. Canada is gathering as many players as possible in Latvia on Jan. 28 and will play two exhibition games there and one more in South Korea before the Olympics begin as it tries to win a third consecutive gold medal.

''We have access to our players very early, and we're going to take advantage of that,'' said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's vice president of hockey operations and national teams. ''We're actually going to simulate the first two games of the Olympics with the ice times and the game times and try to get used to that kind of quick turnaround from a 9 p.m. game and a day off and a noon game.''

Sweden, which has a handful of former NHL players and projected 2018 No. 1 draft pick Rasmus Dahlin , will gather in Seoul for four days of practice before facing Canada on Feb. 12. The Czech Republic will hold training camp in Prague from Jan. 29-Feb. 6 before practicing in Seoul and playing an exhibition game against Finland on Feb. 11, while the Swiss are scheduled to play Germany in Kloten, Switzerland, on Feb. 6 and Norway in Goyang, South Korea, five days later.

USA Hockey general manager Jim Johannson said his team won't play any exhibition games with most U.S. players arriving in South Korea on Feb. 8. Johannson said the U.S. will practice Feb. 10-13 and get in a game-day skate Feb. 14, which coach Tony Granato feels will be enough preparation.

''We've all been parts of multiple tournaments like this, so we're not unfamiliar with them,'' said Granato, who played 49 games with the U.S. national team prior to the 1988 Olympics and currently coaches at the University of Wisconsin. ''A lot of the excitement and build-up leading up to it makes it that much better - you're going to get there, we're going to jump on the ice, we're going to practice and then a few days later we'll be center stage and ready to play.''

Seventeen of the 25 U.S. players were at the Deutschland Cup in November and won't be back on the ice together until nearly three months later. The U.S. women's team? They gathered in Florida in September, played a series of games against top Olympic rival Canada and have been together since.

''It's a huge bonus and a huge advantage to be together all year,'' forward Meghan Duggan said. ''(It's ) a difference from a world championship year, a non-Olympic year where we play with our pro teams and our club teams or college teams and get together for certain periods of time whether it be for world championships or Four Nations Cup or training camp.''

Canada's men's team took part in several Olympic tune-up tournaments for evaluation purposes. GM Sean Burke, who played in goal for Canada in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, is trying to make the most of this hybrid schedule to put coach Willie Desjardins and his team in the best position to succeed.

''We've had a lot of time to not only evaluate our players but have them together to do some team-building and we're going to get a good two-week training camp. I like the process,'' Burke said. ''Our coaching staff can really get down to working on our systems and having everything in place that they're comfortable with. That's a real nice luxury to have.''

---

AP Sports Reporters Teresa M. Walker and James Ellingworth contributed.

---

Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

---

More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bundle up, because the world junior hockey championship outdoor game between the United States and Canada is a go on Friday.

Tournament officials gave the go-ahead for the game to be played at the NFL Buffalo Bills’ New Era Field during a meeting Thursday. USA Hockey and organizing committee official Dave Fischer confirmed the decision in a text to The Associated Press.

The forecast for Friday’s game at 3 p.m. Eastern time calls for temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 to -6 Celsius). The cold prompted some to wonder if the game might be relocated to Buffalo’s downtown KeyBank Center, where the majority of the 10-nation tournament is being played.

The preliminary-round game between the U.S. and Canada will be the first outdoor game played at the international level. The Canadians have won their first two tournament fixtures, while the Americans are 1-0 and face Denmark on Thursday night.

The United States is the defending champion after beating Canada in a shootout in January.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

OTTAWA -- Different elements will be in play when the Ottawa Senators entertain the Montreal Canadians on Saturday.

Frigid temperatures and the possibility of snow should be among them.

For the first time, Ottawa is playing host to an outdoor game, as NHL100 Classic sets up at TD Place, home of the Canadian Football League Ottawa Redblacks.

In excess of 30,000 fans are expected to brave the coldest weekend of the winter thus far. After practicing on the outdoor rink Friday, players expressed their excitement.

"This is unbelievable," said Senators center Matt Duchene, who circled the date on his calendar after being traded from Colorado a month ago. "You're playing for a Canadian team against a Canadian team in the capital of Canada. This has been a whirlwind for me. This is something I knew was coming. I've really been looking for it."

Not to be forgotten for the Senators, however, is the importance of the game. After a brutal road trip that saw them win just one of seven games and fall deep down the Eastern Conference standings, the Senators defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 in their first game back on Wednesday night.

The win didn't get them any closer than seven points back of the last division playoff spot, with the Canadiens a team they have to pass on their way.

"I don't think the big thing for us is that we're having this type of game," Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said of playing outdoors. "We needed to come back home and we needed it big time. We've been on the road for a month. That was huge. Just to come back, I saw the energy change at home. We had terrific energy, great enthusiasm. It's the same feeling here."

While Craig Anderson will be in goal for the Senators, Carey Price makes his 10th straight start between the pipes for Montreal.

The Canadiens are coming off Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils that snapped a three-game losing streak.

To get acclimatized, the Canadiens strayed from their normal routine by practicing in Ottawa on Friday.

"The most important thing for us is to get the two points," Habs center Tomas Plekanec told the Montreal Gazette. "These games are different, they're fun, but we have to remember we need points."

Stressing the point was Canadiens coach Claude Julien, an Ottawa native.

"There's no doubt when you're playing outside you're looking at more things than you would in a normal game," Julien told the Gazette. "Weather has an effect on your game plan. The ice was great today and we hope it's the same tomorrow, but if the ice isn't as good and there are certain situations with the weather and the wind, we'll try to keep the game simple.

"You may have to tweak things along the way, but you don't need to overload your players with all these things. But, as a coach, you have to be ready.

"I don't hate these games. These games get a lot of people excited, even the players. There are guys who haven't played an outdoor game yet. A lot of people will tell you it's grown old, but it's an experience. But you have to manage it properly. Guys have to understand that's a big two points."

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

LAS VEGAS (AP) Jon Merrill's first goal of the season snapped a third-period tie, Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 shots against his former team and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Thursday night.

It was the first meeting between the defending Stanley Cup champions and Vegas, which acquired Fleury from Pittsburgh during the NHL expansion draft on June 21.

Fleury was taken by Pittsburgh with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft.

James Neal scored his 15th goal of the season for Vegas, while Ian Cole scored Pittsburgh's goal.

The matchup between the Penguins and Fleury was arguably the most anticipated game against a former Penguin since Jaromir Jagr played against Pittsburgh on Dec. 11, 2001, for the first time after his trade to Washington.

After missing six straight games due to a lower-body injury, the Penguins activated goalie Matt Murray off injured reserve in time to face his mentor, Fleury.

Murray, who stopped 24 shots, had his personal regulation losing streak extend to four games, the longest of his career.

The Golden Knights became the fastest first-year team to 20 wins in NHL history.

Vegas wasted no time in giving Fleury an early lead, when Neal's rebound off Colin Miller's wrist shot found its way past Murray.

The Penguins tied it when Carl Hagelin found Cole, who beat Fleury top shelf from just behind the goal line for his second goal of the season.

Merrill's one-timer put the Knights ahead with 11 minutes left in the game, slapping Erik Haula's pass beneath Murray's pad.

NOTES

Vegas D Deryk Engelland's next game will be the 500th of his career. ... Engelland, Fleury, James Neal and David Perron have all played for the Penguins during their careers. ... Sidney Crosby is five goals away from notching the 400th in his career. ... Crosby has at least one point in 10 of his last 14 games, with eight goals and 11 assists.

UP NEXT

Pittsburgh: Visits Arizona on Saturday.

Vegas: Hosts Florida on Sunday.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.