NHL pushes start of Winter Classic game to 3 p.m.

Monday's Winter Classic was moved to 3 p.m. - it was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. - because organizers said there will be better weather conditions at that time.

According to weather.com, it's supposed to be 41 degrees and partly cloudy at 3 p.m., with a 20 percent chance of precipitation. It could be warmer at 1 p.m. if the sun is out, and that could affect the ice surface.

Most of the Flyers said the ice was in good condition after they skated at Citizens Bark Park for the first time Sunday. Coach Peter Laviolette called the ice "terrific."

But there are drawbacks to playing outdoors.

"I didn't know it would be such a difference. You kind of lose the puck for a quick second," winger Jaromir Jagr said. "It must be the light. I didn't feel very comfortable when I was skating."

The sports complex parking lot will open at 9 a.m., and gates to the ballpark will open at 1 p.m. Spectator Plaza will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Flyers held a family skate after their Winter Classic practice at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday morning, and only one person seemed to have more fun than defenseman Braydon Coburn.

That would be Coburn's daughter, Rory, who is almost 11 weeks old.

Coburn wrapped Rory in his arms and bounced her up and down as he skated around the ice.

"She was giggling. She liked the bounce, or maybe it was the wind in her face," Coburn said. "She was good. She's been sleeping a lot lately, so she was wide awake, looking around and taking it all in."

Coburn was grateful that friends and family members were given the unique experience to skate in a baseball ballpark.

"But come [Monday], you're right back to Game 37," Coburn said. "There's no more joking around. It's serious."

Flyers center Claude Giroux, who is second in the NHL with 45 points, revealed he was a bit star-struck when he met Jagr in training camp.

"I wasn't sure if I could go talk to him or just let it be," he said. "I was pretty nervous, actually, so I didn't really know what to say. That was the first time I met him. It was a pretty exciting moment."

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is having a sensational season. He is 16-7-4 - including two wins against the Flyers - and is among the NHL leaders in goals-against average (1.91, third) and save percentage (.937, fourth). . . . After a day off, James van Riemsdyk returned to practice on Sunday. . . . According to the NHL, 350 gallons of paint were used to make the ice white at Citizens Bank Park. . . . Four of the most-watched regular-season games in the United States since 1975 were Winter Classic contests. . . . The final edition of HBO's 24/7 will be shown on Thursday at 10 p.m.