Auld again

ATLANTA -- Alex Auld will make his third straight in goal tonight against the Thrashers.

Auld will have some added help in front of him. Andrew Ference will make his return after missing 12 games with a sprained knee. Ference has not been officially activated yet, but when he is, it's expected that Tim Thomas will be placed on injured reserve.

* Marco Sturm (eye) will not play tonight. Claude Julien said there's still too much swelling around the eye for Sturm to be cleared for action. Julien said there's a good chance that Sturm will play tomorrow against New Jersey at TD Banknorth Garden.

* Vladimir Sobotka (shoulder), who's missed the last three games, will play tonight.

* The Bruins had an optional skate this morning at Philips Arena. P.J. Axelsson, Marc Savard, Glen Murray, Glen Metropolit, Peter Schaefer, Zdeno Chara, and Dennis Wideman didn't practice.

A guess at tonight's lineup:

Axelsson-Savard-Murray
Schaefer-Metropolit-Kobasew
Lucic-Kessel-Nokelainen
Reich-Sobotka-Bochenski

Stuart-Chara
Alberts-Wideman
Ference-Ward

Auld