Greetings and happy new year from Fenway Park, where the sports calendar debuts with an event we're sure we'll recall as one of the year's highlights come the end of 2010.

Less than three hours from now, the puck will drop for the Winter Classic matchup between the Bruins and Flyers. Prepare for your pond hockey memories to come flooding back.

The anticipation and preparation is almost complete, and the old ballpark is ready for its brief star turn as the hotbed of hockey. As you can tell from the photos the past few days, it is no exaggeration to say Fenway is dressed beautifully for the occasion; it looks spectacular.

While the grounds crew is on the field right now putting finishing touches on the outfield, the league and NBC are going to have the appealing, nostalgic scene that they desired. Well, assuming Joe Mooney doesn't come roaring out of nowhere to tell the NHL to get off his ballfield.

NHL facilities operations manager Dan Craig, the league's guru in terms of rink preparations for the Winter Classic, is pleased with the conditions: "[It's] awesome," Craig said. "The good lord couldn't have done much better for us right now." Craig said the temperature of the ice is within tenths of a degree of their target, 24 degrees. "We're right where we want to be," he said.

The gates are not yet open to spectators, but outside on Yawkey Way, the sights and smells are familiar. Anyone up for a sausage with onions at 9:30 a.m. had some options. (Certainly not the most appealing breakfast for many of us on New Year's Day.) But one sight was a bit surreal, even if you knew it was coming: the red and white jerseys and t-shirts of summer have given way to the black and gold sweaters more commonly seen around Causeway Street this time of year. Strange to see the Ellsbury shirts swapped for Lucic gear in this neighborhood.

Bruins fans turned out in force early at the Spectactor Plaza (across from Fenway Park and next to Boston Beer Works), which opened at 9 a.m. And they weren't the only ones -- from the looks of the crowd on Yawkey Way, there looks to be a pretty sizable (20 percent, maybe?) contingent of Flyers fans in attendance.

New England Cable News weather guy Matt Noyes, who is getting some major face time on the NHL Network this morning, reports that "we're in good shape" in terms of the weather cooperating. According to Weather.com, there is a 10 percent chance of precipitation from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with temperatures ranging from 32-38 degrees.

Here's hoping that 10 percent ends up being a picture-perfect light dusting of snow.

We'll be back shortly. Be sure to check back often for pregame updates as well as Fluto's in-game blog . . .