No official indication yet from coach Claude Julien, but it appears young forwards Vladimir Sobotka and Mikko Lehtonen both will suit up to face the Sabres (official time of puck drop: 4:08 p.m.)

With the mounting number of niggling injuries on the Boston roster, both Sobotka and Lehtonen are here as emergency recalls. Sobotka was in Boston for Thursday's game with Les Habs, but did not suit up. Lehtonen was called up when Patrice Bergeron (not on the trip) sustained what is believed to be a mild foot injury in the win over Montreal.

The long-bodied Lehtonen (6-feet-5, 203 pounds) would be making his NHL debut. A proud son of Espoo, Finland, a suburb only 10 minutes out of Helsinki, Lehtonen has been this season's top goal scorer in Providence (AHL).

Asked some two hours before the puck drop if this were a big day for the 22-year-old, he first deadpanned, ''No, not at all.'' His humor registered a good chuckle from the tiny Boston media contingent here at the HSBC. He then added, ''Yeah, I am pretty nervous, to be honest.'..this is what you dream about as a kid, when you first start to play hockey.''

Moments before Lehtonen chatted with the media outside the Bruins dressing room, Teppo Numminen, a legend in Finland, flitted in and our of the Sabres room, preparing a new stick for his 1,454th NHL game (playoffs included).

Asked if Numminen were one of his idols growing up, Lehtonen said, ''Oh, for every Finnish player, Teppo is an idol....I mean, he's played here for 100 years.''

Numminen, who will be 41 years old in July, broke in with the 1988-'89 Winnipeg Jets and is finishing up his fourth season with the Sabres.

xxxxx

Passerby to Aaron Ward, who had his head shaved Wednesday for charity (''Cuts for a Cause''): ''Geez, find some shade, will ya? The glare off that thing is somethin' awful.''

Ward to passerby: ''I know, I gotta get some baby powder for it.''

xxxxx

It is possible we will know later tonight, but for now the schedule for Boston's first two home games in the playoffs remains uncertain.

Thursday for Game 1 on Causeway St. is all but a guarantee. Game No. 2 will be Saturday or Sunday. The minute it is made official, we'll post it here on the Globe's B's blog. For the first 100 to register, Fluto has offered to call you at home, or on your cell, with the news.