NHL 2010 Winter Classic Game Notes

BOSTON -- Notes, quotes and storylines to prepare you for the NHL Winter Classic on Friday at 1:00 pm ET on NBC...

Two Teams on the Rise: The NHL had to be a little nervous when the Flyers sunk to 14th in the Eastern Conference and even a coaching change from John Stevens to Peter Laviolette had no immediate impact. But the Flyers enter the Winter Classic looking like they have found their game, having won four in a row and climbing to the No. 8 spot. "It's a long season," said Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren, "but I certainly felt that we would come around at some point." The Bruins had an unspectacular start to the season but are now 12-4-3 in their last 19 games and are fifth in the East. Boston is treating the Classic as a road game, staying as a team at a nearby hotel.

Who's in Net?: Flyers coach Laviolette broke the tough news on Friday to Brian Boucher -- the goalie from nearby Woonsocket, R.I. -- will not get the chance to start in Fenway Park. Michael Leighton, who has won four games in a row since the Flyers picked him up on waivers from Carolina, gets the nod. Said Laviolette: "I told Bouch to consider what it would be like if he was the goalie who won four in a row. He was disappointed, but he understands." Bruins all-star Tim Thomas had quite the day ahead of him. The veteran gets the start in Fenway and is later expected to be named to the U.S. Olympic Team.

Star Power: Maybe the game doesn't feature Ovechkin vs. Crosby, but there are enough all-stars to also justify the Classic label. Among the Olympians the NHL, NBC and TSN can market from the game are Boston's Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Tim Thomas, Philadelphia's Chris Pronger, Mike Richards and Kimmo Timonen. As he clutched a baseball during his post-practice press conference, Richards said of the last 48 hours, "It's been a hectic time, but I wouldn't change anything, that's for sure."

The Great Outdoors: Bruins center Marc Savard said Friday's practice at Fenway during the snow "brought back a lot of nice memories." Patrice Bergeron joked, "We all were like kids out there, even Reccs -- and he's like 42 years old." Mark Recchi is 41, but the sentiment was right. "When I'm done playing," said Recchi, "this will be one of the games I'll be most proud to be a part of." Of course, there's the one aspect on everyone's mind...

The Weather: NHL officials hosted a meeting on Friday night with Holmgren and Boston counterpart Peter Chiarelli to detail contingency plans in the event of a postponement. The forecast has changed hourly. The league, which has a makeup date set for Saturday, is optimistic they have a window of opportunity to play the game between 1-4 pm ET on Friday before any possible inclement weather. "A little snow is okay," said Bergeron. "A lot could be a problem. It would be very tough to do anything with the puck." Bruins coach Claude Julien said his team is "going to stay away from the fancy stuff." Chris Pronger had one idea: "Throw the puck on net from everywhere. Hopefully it hits a snowbank and goes top-shelf."

Iconic Setting: Blake Wheeler, the Bruins' 23-year-old power forward, seemed in awe of having a stall in the Fenway Park locker room of the Boston Red Sox. "This is an honor," said Wheeler. "This is one of the best ballparks ever." Laviolette, from the Boston suburb of Franklin, Mass., said his mother skated to center ice during the Flyers' family skate on Friday afternoon. "She said that she couldn't believe that she's standing in the middle of Fenway Park on an ice rink. You couldn't ask for anything better."

No Pressure, Kid: Flyers rookie forward James van Riemsdyk, a native of New Jersey and student just last year at the University of New Hampshire, shared Laviolette's message to his team on the ice Friday at Fenway. "Coach told us that if we lose, it will just be another game that happened to be played in a big venue. We want to make this memorable. We want to make the most of the experience."

The FanHouse Prediction: Leighton has been terrific, but the Bruins have Thomas and the home-stadium advantage. Boston wins 3-2, in a shootout.