I'll address the Bruins thing making the most news right now, or at least a little bit of news. The practice recap and photos will come later this afternoon.

Defenseman Andrew Alberts was traded this morning, during practice, to Philadelphia.

The Bruins receive Ned Lukacevic and a conditional 2009 fourth-round pick. The draft pick becomes a third-rounder if Alberts signs with Philadelphia when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

I went to practice, arriving late and only saw Alberts for part of a drill. Then I saw him make his way over to the door to exit the ice while a drill was still going on. At first I thought it was weird because I never saw players leave for bathroom breaks before. Then the bad feeling started to seep in. He wasn't coming back. He was taken off the ice and he was taken off the Bruins.

At the end of practice I saw Dennis Wideman go over to the door and get the attention of the equipment manager. He talked to him for a minute, returned to the ice skating alone at center and shot a puck, then grabbed his extra stick and was the first one to leave the ice. Wideman is never first to leave after practices. That was the point I knew Alberts was traded or at least something had happened. Wideman and Alberts are close, often riding to practices together.

It seems the trade was a salary cap space saving move, which had to happen. I know that. It just sucks seeing another favorite player go to another team, especially to a team that came close to ending Patrice Bergeron's career and even Alberts' too. That is the only factor that makes Montreal look like a better option.

I never saw a "deal go down" before, so this is one for the hockey memory books. It ranks up there with finding out Adam Oates was traded after a game against the Flyers while waiting outside the old Boston Garden for his autograph.

6:12 p.m.

Peter Chiarelli broke the news to Alberts this morning, and said the defenseman was disappointed to hear the news. "I told him that sometimes you've got to do things now that you don't like doing," Chiarelli said. "I like him as a player. I like the way he competes. The way the system is now, you've got to be a little more proactive. He was a casualty of that."

The Irony

The Flyers needed a defenseman because Randy Jones, the player who knocked Bergeron out, is injured along with a couple of other defensemen. That's pretty much how Alberts got there.

Alberts will also have Scott Hartnell as a teammate, the same player who put him on the injured list last season.

Isn't that ironic?

“Yeah, that is ironic, but I don’t think that will be an issue,” Flyers’ general manager Paul Holmgren told Comcast SportsNet.com. “Andrew did miss a lot of time after that injury, but he’s fully healthy now. For whatever reason, he didn’t fit into the Bruins plans this season, but we can use him.”

Alberts answered some questions on the Flyers website.

Q: What is your reaction being traded to the Flyers?

AA: “I’m just excited for a new opportunity. Things were not apparently working out in Boston. The fact that I get to come here and contribute, I’m fortunate and excited.”

Q: What are your strengths?
AA: “I like to get back to being more physical. In the Boston system it is a little bit tough to run around and be physical. Hopefully I can get back to the way I played the first couple of years and be more physical. I just want to make smart plays and move the puck up the ice.”

The Flyers host the Montreal Canadiens tonight. Alberts is questionable for the game pending his arrival in Philadelphia.

I was browsing through some of my select favorite websites on my television and checked in the Globe blog. There was an update about Andrew Ference posted by Fluto and I was trying to cherry-pick a quote to post here. I'm lucky Ference mentioned this website's favorite, Chuck Kobasew.

Ference has worked out with Chuck Kobasew and Milan Lucic this summer. He said Kobasew has recovered from his broken tibia and is ready to go.

"He's Chuck," said Ference. "He's keeping himself wound up and getting excited for the season. He's raring to go. It was tough on him to miss the playoffs. He's chomping at the bit to get that going."

Should I even confess that a week ago I had forgotten Kobasew was injured at the end of last season? That was until I got all caught up the other day.

I thought that was all I needed to read, but I scrolled down and saw a picture of Brad Boyes. He was another of the site's favorite and the personally autographed picture that was given to me confirms that. (Maybe I'll post that story someday.)

Anyway, my eyes skimmed past Boyes's career-high 43 goals with the Blues, and instead went to the letters BMW under Fluto's comment.

That's a lot of offense for the Bruins to have given up, but given the way Dennis Wideman played last year, it's a deal that isn't as lopsided as it once appeared. That is, if BMW (Big Money Wides) continues to develop in 2008-09.

That has got to be the best Bruins nickname I have heard in a long time.

What have been some of your favorite Bruins players' nicknames in the past?

The first day of free agency has almost come and gone, and the Bruins have yet to make any signings, other than Blake Wheeler earlier, which was the worst kept secret since a few weeks ago.

But a couple of last season's players, as well as former Bruins, are changing cities. [Find the signings tracker here.]

Forward Glen Metropolit signed a two-year deal with the less than popular around here Philadelphia Flyers. The Ottawa Senators signed goaltender Alex Auld to a two-year contract. Auld wasn't expected to return to the Bruins next season, but Metropolit was offered a contract last month.

Some former Bruins on the move include Brian Rolston (New Jersey), Andrew Raycroft (Colorado) and.... well, Brad Stuart is staying in Detroit. I figured there were more former Bruins roaming around free agency.

Peter Chiarelli updated his blog again this afternoon and there were a couple of things to take out of it.

We’ve basically been involved in two things so far today.

One of the negotiations was for a very elite player. Despite our efforts, basically we are not very high on this player’s list and it looks like there’s no shot at the player.

We’re closer with another player though, and right now it's just the waiting game….which is excruciating.

I like that he's sharing information with fans, even if it's extremely vague.

I would take a guess that the elite player is Marian Hossa, and if Boston isn't very high on his list, then that's fine with me. One player does not make or break a team, and obviously Chiarelli is a smart man who knows what this team needs and more importantly, what will help this team in the long run.

After the Bruins didn’t make any moves on the trade deadline, they handed the Ottawa Senators their second consecutive shutout in two nights. The Senators lost 5-0 to Toronto on Monday, and the Bruins put four goals on the board, while Tim Thomas posted his 2nd shutout of the season. (Ottawa fired their coach yesterday.) The Bruins extended their unbeaten streak to 5-0-1.

Shawn Thornton scored the first goal of the game, followed by David Krejci (first NHL goal) in the first period. Zdeno Chara added a power play goal in the second period and an empty-netter (shorthanded) goal in the third period.

Thomas was spectacular all night, making outstanding saves, including one glove save in the second period that was the best save of the night.

Point man Jason Spezza, stationed at the top of the left circle, sent a shot that deflected off P.J. Axelsson and skittered to Daniel Alfredsson at the far post. The Ottawa captain whipped a wrister that seemed destined for the back of the net. But Thomas, sliding from right to left, gloved Alfredsson's shot just before it crossed the goal line. Replays determined that Thomas snared the puck in front of the line.

"Somebody screened me, so I butterflied and lost the puck," Thomas said. "Next thing I know, I caught it out of the corner of my eye over by Alfredsson. So I slid over, was able to get a bead on it, and was able to keep it out of the net."

Thomas made 22 saves in the shutout.

Have I mentioned I went to the game, arriving during the first intermission? No? Well I was, and have since been told that I should go to all of the remaining home games to keep this “personal” winning streak alive. How tempted am I to go to tonight’s game? It’s getting there.

The Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight who made a heck of a splash on Tuesday, acquiring Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill.

I’ll check back in a bit with a better game preview for tonight’s match up. The game notes have yet to post the Penguins roster, so it’s a little challenging for stats and the like.

The Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes (21-19-4) tonight at the Garden. The Hurricanes are coming off a 1-0 loss at St. Louis on Saturday, while the Bruins are looking to extend their three-game winning streak.

And if you go by the officials to tell whether or not tonight will be a good game, the referees are Mike Hasenfratz and Don Koharski.

Tim Thomas (13-9-3, 2.28 GAA, .931 Sv%) will be getting the start in goal for the Bruins. Cam Ward (16-12-3, 2.84 GAA, .902 Sv%) should be getting the start for the Hurricanes.

The usual suspects for the Bruins are out: Glen Murray, Aaron Ward, Bobby Allen and Andrew Alberts. Murray and Ward are the closest to returning to the line-up.

The Hurricanes claimed Sergei Samsonov off re-entry waivers today. One has to feel for Samsonov, being bounced around the NHL since being traded from Boston. Samsonov is expected to be in Boston tonight.

One final bit of news before I start to rush off to work. Zdeno Chara was named a starter in the All-Star Game coming up on the 27th. This is the first time in his career that he will start in an All-Star Game.

I will be attending tonight's game late. And I will be getting the photos up from the weekend by Friday, hopefully.