Philips Arena was freezing this morning… must mean hockey season is officially in the air.

Both teams went through their morning skates Thursday and no news came out of either, that includes figuring out who the odd man out is in the Lightning lineuep. Coach John Tortorella, who is feeling under the weather by the way, didn’t reveal who was the scratch and everybody came off the ice at the same time. My guess is Doug Janik, based on knowing the Eric Perrin is in so going with seven defenseman, an option Tortorella said he would consider, won’t be the case tonight. Also, Janik is the only defenseman not sitting on the same block of locker stalls as the other six Dmen. But saying Janik is a scratch is still just an educated guess at this point.

Paul Ranger will play tonight, as Tortorella had said previously.

Oh, and I will put up my Eastern Conference preseason predictions by tonight. But judging from the reaction to the Western Conference picks, nobody is holding their breath in anticipation of the East!