Thank goodness for our sports teams to break the gloom on what is really a very gray day here in New England. But looking outside, there is one sport specifically made for days like this. It's cold, it's raw -- it's perfect weather for hockey! JB

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Lasse Kukkonen, right, of Finland, celebrates with center Daniel Briere.

Saturday morning
Good morning True Believers! Here's hoping you are as excited about today's game as I. Today has the makings of a pretty good tilt between our contemporary Big Bad Bruins and the legendary Broad Street Bullies.

And to start the hockey day, don't forget to switch your dial to 890am or 1400am for the New England Hockey Journal Radio Show. Three colleagues of mine, Mick Colageo, Kevin Paul Dupont and Matt Kalman eschew their keyboards and man the airwaves to heat up the regions hockey talk.

And this week none other than Bruins legend Mike Milbury will be a special co-host in studio. So, if you are outside the Greater Boston area or are surfing the web, and want to listen online, click over to hockeyjournal.com!

I am heading over to Vic the Barbers to get some hockey talk in, myself.

More in a bit...

12:23 p.m.
The players should be arriving soon. Thanks to the earlier start, the traditional morning skate was cancelled.

So, as far as the B's lineup goes, here is my best guess based on yesterday's practice.

Schaefer-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Kobasew
Axelsson-Krejci-Kessel
Lucic-Metropolit-Thornton
Chara-Ward (sg) ?
Alberts-Ference (bg) ?
Stuart-Wideman-Go BRUINS!

The scratches would be Allen and Reich with Bochenski still in Providence.

12:32 p.m.
Going through my recorder, I found Coach Julien's comments about Philly from after yesterday's practice.

"They're a real good team," said Julien. "Much improved.

"And they're coming off a two game losing streak...so I have a feeling that we are going to see them at their best."

Despite their recent troubles, Julien thinks that the Flyers will give Boston all they can handle.

"It's going to be a good test for us," he said, "we just need to be ready. It's not about changing anything we just need to play our game and play it right and play it hard, because they are going to give us a real good tilt tomorrow."

12:43 p.m.
Just tried to fish around for the starter. Nothing yet. Stay tuned...

3:57 p.m.
Sorry for the delay folks...Timmy is the starter. Look for an AP recap after the game and my story later this evening! Go Bruins...