NHL Winter Classic 2012: Game Day Preview and Starting Lineups

The day is finally here after weeks and months of anticipation. Today, Citizens Bank Park will host the Bridgestone 2012 NHL Winter Classic featuring the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. With the festivities set to get started at 3:00pm, now is a good time to look at the projected starting lineups for both the Rangers and Flyers.

New York Rangers: 23-9-4; 50 Points

Forwards

Artem Anisimov | Derek Stepan | Marián Gáborík
Carl Hagelin | Brad Richards (A) | Ryan Callahan (C)
Brandon Dubinsky | Brian Boyle | John Mitchell
Mike Rupp | Ruslan Fedotenko | Brandon Prust

Defense

Ryan McDonagh | Dan Girardi 
Michael Del Zotto | Anton Strålman
Marc Staal(A) | Stu Bickel 

Goaltenders

Henrik Lundqvist
Martin Biron

Scratches

Erik Christensen

Philadelphia Flyers: 22-10-4; 48 Points

Forwards

Scott Hartnell | Claude Giroux | Jaromír Jágr
Matt Read | Danny Brière | Wayne Simmonds
Max Talbot | Brayden Schenn | Jakub Voracek
James van Riemsdyk | Sean Couturier | Harry Zolnierczyk

Defense

Braydon Coburn | Kimmo Timonen
Marc-Andre Bourdon | Matt Carle
Andrej Meszaros | Andreas Lilja

Goaltenders

Sergei Bobrovsky
Ilya Bryzgalov

Scratches

Zac Rinaldo
Jody Shelley
Matt Walker

Rangers Have Edge So Far Against Flyers

The Rangers have a two-games-to-zero edge over their Atlantic Division rival this season. The Blueshirts have outscored the Flyers 6-2 in their two meetings.

Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky have split the time in net during those two meetings. On the Rangers side, Lundqvist has recorded two wins and one shutout.

Who's on First? Rather, Who Is in Net For Philly?

One of the biggest storylines going into the game only came into fruition early on Sunday. Ilya Bryzgalov opened up to the media and explained he wasn't going to be starting in goal on Monday. However, bench boss Peter Laviolette vehemently insisted at his press conference that no decision had been made.

It later came out that Bryzgalov was correct, as the Flyers goaltending coach Jeff Reese approached Bryzgalov after practice.

In a situation like this, it probably would have been more appropriate for Laviolette to make the announcement and not Bryzgalov.

Is there a controversy in Philadelphia when it comes to goaltending? This situation will be very interesting to follow.

Will Weather Play A Factor?

The latest weather forecast predicts a temperature of 41 degrees at 3:00pm with 21mph winds and a 20 percent chance of precipitation. The temperature will taper off a degree or two as the day goes on. It should be a seasonally warm day in Philadelphia. If there is no rain, the ice surface shouldn't be a major problem.

The high gusting winds however could move the puck around depending on what direction the wind blows. The Flyers could have a slight edge due to the fact they have participated in the Winter Classic before.

Prediction

Up to this point, the Rangers have had an advantage over the Flyers. I expect the same to continue today.

The game should be low-scoring and that will benefit the Rangers' defensive style of play. The Rangers also have a dominant edge in goaltending, so that will play a factor into the game.

The Rangers are on a roll and have gotten solid efforts out of Lundqvist in his last couple of starts. The scoring should be low and with that in mind, the Rangers will win 3-1 after a late empty-net goal.

Television Information

Date: Jan. 2, 2012

Time: 1:00 p.m. pre-game coverage

Time: 3:00 p.m. game-time

Network: US, NBC; Canada, CBC

Additional Coverage: NHL Network, NBC Sports, MSG Networks, CSN

The game is going to be very exciting for the fans watching live and at home. No matter what the outcome, this is going to be an unforgettable moment for all players involved.

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: