The National Hockey League announced today the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will change the original 1 p.m. (ET) start time on New Year's Day to 8 p.m. (ET). The decision was based on the latest meteorological reports, which have advised an approaching front of potentially steady rain expected to fall through the afternoon and taper off by early evening, and after consultation with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals, national broadcast partners (NBC, CBC, RDS), the Pittsburgh Steelers, the National Hockey League Players' Association, and local officials. We have been further advised that cooler and drier air conditions are expected in the evening with the passing of the front

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Michael Leighton’s six-month wait to return to meaningful NHL action ended Thursday night in Los Angeles, but the questions over his future in Philadelphia remain. Leighton’s first start since the sixth and final game of the Stanley Cup Final ended with a 7-4 win over the Kings, but the 29-year-old goalie was shaky in the victory, allowing four goals. Leighton sat out the first 35 games of the season after undergoing back surgery on Oct. 11.

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MINI-PREVIEW 10:15 AM The Flyers (23-9-5 overall, 11-3-3 on the road) take to the ice for the third time in four nights for a New Year's Eve showdown with the Anaheim Ducks (19-17-4 overall, 11-6-1 at home). Last night, the Flyers outgunned a Los Angeles Kings team that was playing for the fourth time in five nights, prevailing by a 7-4 count. Peter Laviolette shook up three of the forward l

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LOS ANGELES - Kimmo Timonen's hip is still bothering him but the Flyers defenseman said he plans to play tonight against the LA Kings. The bigger more interesting news is that coach Peter Laviolette has decided to put Michael Leighton in net. The one question Lavy has been dancing around whenever we ask him is how he handles Sergei Bobrovsky's psyche right now

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