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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Thankfully, there will be no labor disputes or Winter Olympics disrupting NHL action this season, as the league tries to get back to normal in 2014-15. After suffering through a lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, the NHL saw last season halted for nearly a month while the league went on hiatus for the Sochi Olympics. However, no such interruptions are expected this season and hockey fans will even get to see the return of the NHL All-Star Game, an event that hasnt been held since January of 2012. Dynasty is a word being thrown around quite a bit these days thanks to the recent success experienced in Chicago and Los Angeles, a pair of franchises with two Cup victories over the past several seasons. Neither team is worthy of the dynasty label yet, but the race is on to see if either club can add to its title haul in 2015. The Blackhawks won their second Cup title in four seasons in the spring of 2013 and the Kings made it two championships in three years back in June. The clubs battled in the Western Conference finals in last seasons playoffs and theres a good chance that both the West crown and the Cup could go through Chicago or L.A. yet again. The realignment plan instituted at the start of the last season has set the West up as the stronger of the two conferences, with the East lagging far behind. In addition to Chicago and L.A., Anaheim, Colorado, Minnesota, St. Louis and San Jose also have legitimate Cup dreams, but theres a solid chance theyll need to upset either the Blackhawks or Kings in order to reach the promised land. The top contender in the East, meanwhile, is the Boston Bruins, who won last seasons Presidents Trophy before getting knocked out in the second round by Montreal. The defending conference champion New York Rangers also figure to be among the Easts top teams, while the Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning also could be in the mix at seasons end. Odds are the 2015 champion will come from the West. If that happens it would mark the conferences fifth title since 2010, with only the 2010-11 Bruins claiming a Cup for the East so far during the stretch. Once again the top three clubs from each of the leagues four divisions will earn automatic bids to the playoffs, while wild card spots account for the remaining two postseason spots in each conference. The second- and third-place teams from each division will meet in the first round of the playoffs. The remaining opening-round series will feature one matchup between the division winner with the most points against the wild card with the lowest point total and another featuring the other division winner and wild card representative. Without further ado, its time to make predictions on which teams are bound for the playoffs. Here it goes: EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC Boston Bruins (champion) Tampa Bay Lightning (automatic bid) Montreal Canadiens (automatic bid) METROPOLITAN Pittsburgh Penguins (champion) New York Rangers (automatic bid) Columbus Blue Jackets (automatic bid) WILD CARDS New Jersey Devils New York Islanders EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Boston Heading into the 2014 playoffs, the Bruins were billed as the only East team with a real chance of beating one of the Wests elite clubs in the Cup Finals. However, Claude Juliens club didnt get the chance to test its mettle against the representatives from the NHLs power conference as Boston fell in seven games to the rival Montreal Canadiens in the East semifinals. The Habs downed Boston with speed in the playoffs before the Rangers beat Montreal at its own game in the conference finals. Both clubs obviously have the skaters to take down the Bruins again, but Boston shouldnt be counted out due to one shaky postseason performance. The Bruins, after all, have shown the ability to rebound from poor playoff appearances in recent years under Julien and it could be time for them to prove it again. Boston won the Stanley Cup in 2011 just one year removed from a monumental 0-3 collapse against Philadelphia in the 2010 playoffs. Then after getting bounced by Washington in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, the Bs went on to face the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 Cup Finals before ultimately falling in six games. Juliens system, which puts an emphasis on responsible team defense, is the major reason Boston is still a threat. Steady on-ice leaders like star defenseman Zdeno Chara and versatile centerman Patrice Bergeron make sure the team sticks to the plan, and having reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask between the pipes doesnt hurt either. The Bruins may not be able to stop the trend of Western Conference dominance in the end, but a return to the Cup Finals is well within Bostons reach. WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL St. Louis Blues (champion) Chicago Blackhawks (automatic bid) Minnesota Wild (automatic bid) PACIFIC Anaheim Ducks (champion) Los Angeles Kings (automatic bid) San Jose Sharks (automatic bid) WILD CARDS Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars WESTERN CONFERENCE/STANLEY CUP CHAMPION: Chicago Blackhawks No team has been able to claim consecutive Cups since Detroit pulled off the repeat in 1997 and 98, but the Kings are a serious threat to supplant the Red Wings as the most recent back-to-back champions. Of course, the Blackhawks figure to be the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a second straight L.A. title. Chicago not only pushed the Kings to the limit in last springs classic Western Conference finals battle, it also carried a 4-3 edge into the third period of Game 7 before L.A. rallied for a 5-4 OT victory in the Windy City. The Blackhawks and Kings are similar in many ways. They boast two of the NHLs deepest rosters with star players littered throughout and both clubs are used to dominating the opposition when it comes to puck possession. Chicago seems to own a slight edge in overall defensive depth, but Kings blueliner Drew Doughty appeared to be the biggest difference maker during last years playoff battle. L.A. goaltender Jonathan Quick also is a better regarded goaltender than Chicagos Corey Crawford, but both players have proven themselves capable of anchoring a Cup-winning team. When two teams match up this closely with one another, intangible factors can often tip the balance in one clubs favor. What L.A. did in last years playoffs was amazing, but the Kings did receive their share of puck luck along the way and theres a good chance it could run out in 2015. Darryl Sutters resilient club deserves credit for rallying from down 3-0 to beat San Jose in Round 1 last spring and coming back from a 3-2 deficit to eliminate Anaheim in the conference semis before outlasting Chicago, but a few bounces the other way easily could have ended L.A.s title hopes prematurely. After the Kings magical run to the Cup in 2014, it isnt crazy to think the Blackhawks will have luck on their side this time. One thing is clear: as hockey fans, wed all be lucky to see another Western Conference battle between Chicago and L.A. The race to claim a dynasty is on, and in 2014-15 it could be Chicagos turn to take another lap with Lord Stanleys Cup. Cheap Air Max 97 Uk Online . LeBron James believes hes a major reason for their early failures. Cheap Air Mx Uk . - Maynor Figueroa headed in a late goal to give Honduras a 1-1 draw with the United States in an international friendly Tuesday. http://www.cheapairmax97uksale.com/.com) - The Boston Bruins announced Monday that the team has signed goaltender Niklas Svedberg to a one-year contract. Air Max 97 Uk Sale . Jackson Houck added a goal and two assists for the Giants (28-23-10), who halted a five-game slide, while Tyler Morrison, Mason Geertsen and Dominik Volek each scored once. Matt Bellerive scored both goals for the Blazers (12-43-5), who are 1-9-0 in their last 10 outings. Wholesale Air Max 97 . The All-Pro left tackle agreed to a five-year contract with the Eagles on Wednesday. Peters was signed for 2014, and his new deal adds four years through 2018.BUFFALO, N.Y. - Mike Yeo doesnt read newspapers right now and hes not perusing Twitter. If he did, the coach of the Minnesota Wild might already think hes out of a job.Instead, with his team on a six-game losing skid, Yeo is determined to ignore the chatter and focus on the task at hand.Im not going to sit around and mope and feel sorry for myself, Yeo said. Ive got a job to do, and now is when I have to do it better than ever.On Wednesday, the Wild traded a third-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for goaltender Devan Dubnyk, but thats no guarantee itll solve enough of Minnesotas problems to turn this season around.The issues go beyond Yeo and beyond goaltending. Zach Parise said the Wild have been fragile, and meeting after meeting wont solve whats ailing a team that went into the season with legitimate playoff aspirations.Theres been a lot of talking around here for the last, gosh, four weeks maybe, Parise said. At some point we have to start to deliver. The coaches can only do so much. As players we have to have thicker skin and hold each other accountable. Were missing that right now. Its too easy internally to not compete and its too easy for us to quit.Players have repeatedly said they havent quit on Yeo or each other. Their play over the past several weeks, including 12 losses in the last 14 games, has prompted that question.Yeo knows his job is in jeopardy, as the coach is usually the first victim of a skid like this. But his players dont want the blame placed on his shoulders.Yoezies a really good coach, said defenceman Ryan Suter, who will miss the next two games after being suspended. Hes a guy that we want to play for. Thats the disappointing thing. I dont know whats going on, we play so well and then we let in a goal or two goals and the wheels just come off.The Wilds last loss was a 7-2 thumping at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The players spent much of Wednesday afternoon at First Niagara Center going over video of mistakes from that game and others and then practised working on the basics.Its an awareness of unfortunately, this is what Minnesota Wild hockey is right now, and we have to get it back to what it was, Yeo said. Its just work. Its not about trying to embarrass anybody or trying to lift anybody up, its just recognition of where were at and what our game looks like and realizing that we need to get it back to what it needs to be.The Wild have allowed 29 goals in the past six games as theyve fallen to 12th in the Western Conference and eight points out of the secoond wild-card spot.ddddddddddddThe season appears to be slipping away.In an effort to keep that from happening, general manager Chuck Fletcher acquired Dubnyk, who represents an immediate upgrade over Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom. Dubnyk went 9-5-2 with a 2.72 goals-against average and .916 save percentage as the Coyotes backup goaltender.Dubnyk could get the reins from Yeo as soon as Thursdays game at the Buffalo Sabres. The Wild are tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the worst team save percentage in the NHL at .889.Goaltending is no doubt a concern, but Parise said the responsibility falls on everyone.Thats a position thats always magnified and the way that position works if you have an off night it unfortunately can cost you the game easily, Parise said. Theres way more that happens before the puck getting to our net that cant happen. The way were turning the puck over, the way were not tying up guys. I mean, were there but were getting outworked and outmuscled.The Wilds overall work ethic is one thing that has come into question.If we think were competing hard enough to win games right now, were kidding ourselves, winger Jason Pominville said. Wed be cheating ourselves to say that. I think our compete (level has) got to go up, thats where it starts. Obviously the goaltending is always an easy thing to point out when things arent going well, but its whats done before that in every zone.Parise said the Wild are stuck in a mindset that has contributed to their struggles.Our D-zone coverage hasnt been good enough, our neutral zone transition hasnt been good, our forecheck hasnt been good, he said. We know how to do it. Thats not a question. Weve done it, we know how to do it, we know it works. Its just right now for us its a mindset. Its not there.The lack of answers is why Yeos job has appeared to be in jeopardy. The Wild made the playoffs each of the past two seasons, and with high expectations have faltered and almost fallen out of the race with 39 games to go.Yeo said a couple of coaching colleagues around the league reached out but he doesnt expect sympathy.Its an eat or be eaten type of game, Yeo said. Thats why we cant sit around and feel sorry for ourselves, either. We know that nobodys feeling sorry for us. Why should we? Thats not going to help us in any way. We have to find a way to get out of this, and the only way is with a clear focus on the way that we need to play the game and a desperation and a work ethic that cant be matched.___Follow @SWhyno on Twitter. ' ' '