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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings have taken similar paths toward the top, hitting big in the draft and making shrewd moves after rough stretches. They find themselves trying to knock each other out in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Blackhawks prevailed last year on their way to the Stanley Cup, and they have the early lead this time after taking the opener, 3-1. They will try to go up 2-0 when the best-of-seven series resumes Wednesday night in Chicago. "We felt this year were in the toughest division and conference," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We just played two real competitive series (against St. Louis and Minnesota). Every game is tight. I think finding a way to win is what its all about in todays game. Our guys are really diligent of doing the little things particularly that some nights give you an edge." Yes, the Blackhawks keep finding ways. Its why theyre eyeing their third championship in five years and are trying to become the first team to repeat since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. In an era with a hard salary cap where players want raises, thats simply not supposed to happen. Parity is the rule, yet the Blackhawks keep rising toward the top. The same goes for the Kings. Theyre enjoying their most successful era with three straight trips to the conference finals and a Stanley Cup two years ago after following a similar path to the Blackhawks. The Kings missed the playoffs from 2003 to 2009 and lost in the first round in 2010 and 2011 before winning their first championship in 2012. Like the Blackhawks did with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, they hit in the draft with Anze Kopitar. They also collected a strong cast to support their core and filled in the gaps with key trades, like the one that landed Marian Gaborik from Columbus in March. "You have to be able to adjust to the game, adjust to the rules, adjust to the style," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "I think thats a big reason why were both in the conference finals again. Whether we can adjust enough to beat the Stanley Cup champions, I dont know." The Blackhawks missed the playoffs from 2003 to 2008 and landed at rock bottom, with dwindling attendance and an alienated fan base unable to watch home games on TV because then-owner Bill Wirtz believed it would be unfair to season ticketholders. They finally emerged with a run to the conference finals in 2009, losing to Detroit. A year later, they beat Philadelphia to end a 49-year championship drought, only to have to part ways with a huge chunk of their team because of cap issues. So they reloaded. "I think management did excellent job with the team," Chicagos Marian Hossa said. "We got a great coaching staff. I think the whole organization, its top class. ... (Los Angeles) is a great organization also. They did an excellent job the last few years. They did it three times in a row. Its just amazing these two teams battling for the West again." The Kings had a few adjustments to make after losing 3-1 in Game 1. Their top line of Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Gaborik got shut down by Toews line, managing just six shots without scoring. Los Angeles will need more from a trio with 16 goals and 24 assists in the playoffs. Even when the Kings had their chances, Corey Crawford stopped most of them. He made 25 saves with several neat stops, turning back Kyle Clifford on a 2-on-1 rush and stopping Gaborik and Brown in rapid succession. So its the Blackhawks with the early lead in the series and the Kings trying to pick themselves up -- again. They did it after dropping the first three games to San Jose in the first round and then rallied from 3-2 down to knock out Anaheim in the conference semifinals. "San Jose and Anaheim had arguably the top two, three, four best home records this year. We went into those tough buildings and won," Jarrett Stoll said. "Chicago is no different. A tough building. Were going to have to figure out a way to win Game 2 and move on." Cheap Jordans From China . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk. Cheap Authentic Jordan Shoes .com) - Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 12 points in the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 70-55 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. http://www.cheapjordanfreeshipping.com/ . LOUIS - The St. Cheap Jordan Free Shipping . Rookie Marek Mazanec made 39 saves for his first NHL victory and the Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2 Saturday night. Wholesale Jordan Shoes China . Still, Encarnacion felt a sense of relief. He felt a pop just before crumpling to the ground after running out a groundball in the first inning of Saturdays game. It could have been worse. “Its going to take maybe two weeks,” said Encarnacion. “It depends how Im going to be and how Im going to be day after day, feeling better or not.HALIFAX - After a year that saw Canada host three UFC shows instead of a planned five, the UFC is still planning its 2015 schedule.But UFC Canada boss Tom Wright sees two to three annual pay-per-view shows in future, augmented by several smaller Fight Night televised cards.In 2014, Canada was slated to hold pay-per-view shows in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver (UFC 174 on June 14) with Fight Night shows in Quebec City (April 16) and Halifax (Saturday). UFC 178, slated for Toronto in September, was shifted to Las Vegas while the December Montreal show was scrapped.The UFC is a month away from finalizing its complete 2015 schedule yet but there are some Canadian clues.The UFC has a March date reserved at the Bell Centre so Montreal should get its card. And Toronto, having lost its 2014 show, is also expected to host a 2015 show with several dates reserved at the Air Canada Centre.The first foray into Atlantic Canada has been a home run, with between 10,000 and 11,000 fans expected at the soldout Scotiabank Centre. The gate is expected to exceed $1 million.This is a good example of why were excited about our sport across the country, Wright said Thursday. Because you come to a town like Halifax and theres a real buzz in the city, which is great.Canada is a good fit for the smaller Fight Night televised cards and Wright hopes to bring one to Saskatchewan, either Regina or Saskatoon, next year.I think it will do as well as weve done here, Wright said.Wright is also interested in bringing future televvised shows to St.dddddddddddd Johns, Moncton, Hamilton, Ottawa, London and Windsor, among others.He also says he will lobby to bring a pay-per-view to Edmonton once the new area is built. And Quebec City wants the UFC to come back, this time to its new arena.The 12-fight Halifax card features nine Canadian fighters, as well as athletes from 10 different birth countries: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Ireland, Nigeria, Russia and the U.S.Thats pretty cool, said Wright, who also oversees UFC operations in Australia and New Zealand.Halifax is the seventh Canadian city to host a UFC show, joining Calgary, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. Saturday will mark the UFCs 17th Canadian show since 2008. Welterweight Rory (Ares) MacDonald, a native of Kelowna, B.C., who trains in Montreal, takes on American-based Belgian Tarec (Sponge) Saffiedine in Saturdays main event.Wright has been on the move since joining the UFC. He leaves for Australia at the end of the month, his 10th trip Down Under in two years.He is also working on a new TV deal for the UFC in Canada, with Rogers Sportsnets agreement expiring at the end of the year.We are in negotiations, still with them as well, but with various partners, he said.NOTES a€” Newfoundland and Labrador, and P.E.I. are the only provinces without athletic commissions, according to Wright. The UFC could hold self-regulated shows there but would prefer to work with a local commission.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '