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Realignment and the Olympic break made for some challenges with the 2013-14 NHL schedule that was released Friday. There are four divisions instead of six, complete with new names and a different balance of games, and time off from Feb. 9-26 to let players go to Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Winter Olympics. "We wanted to make the schedule as normal as it could be," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio. "With 17 days in the middle ... thats sometimes tough to do." The season begins with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs Oct. 1. Later that night the Chicago Blackhawks raise their Stanley Cup champions banner against the Washington Capitals, and the Winnipeg Jets visit the Edmonton Oilers. It marks the first time since 2008 that the defending champion will open the regular season against a team out of its conference. The Detroit Red Wings raised their banner that year against the Maple Leafs. The Calgary Flames open Oct. 3 at the Capitals, the Vancouver Canucks Oct. 3 at the San Jose Sharks and the Ottawa Senators Oct. 4 at the Buffalo Sabres. Vancouver at San Jose and Ottawa at Buffalo are division-rivalry games within the NHLs new alignment that includes the Metropolitan, Atlantic, Central and Pacific Divisions. The Eastern Conference has 16 teams and the West 14, leading to some imbalance in how the schedule is put together. The Metropolitan is made up of the Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Atlantic has the Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Senators, Sabres, Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Central has the Jets, Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. The Pacific has the Canucks, Flames, Oilers, Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks. Daly said much debate went into naming the divisions, including consultation with teams. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby learned about the Metropolitan Division moniker on a conference call with reporters Friday. "I dont know what to think," Crosby said. "I like the Atlantic, Im from Atlantic Canada. It kind of had a good feel to it, but I can deal with Metropolitan Division. Its going to take some time to get used to, but I can live with that." Players will also have to live with some more back-to-back games because the Olympic break compacts the schedule. "You find out pretty quickly that an Olympic-year schedule is a little more condensed and a little more intense than a typical year," Crosby said. "You have to take advantage of your days off because it is condensed." Daly called it a "fairly normal schedule with fairly normal density." But another challenge exists for those going to Sochi, where Crosby said "every game is like a Game 7." "Then obviously coming back from that, too, you basically go from being at that level of intensity to regular-season games," he said. "Regular-season games are always easy to get up for, but theres definitely a period of time where you come back and youve played those intense games, youve got to find a way to keep going and maintain that same level through the rest of the season and hopefully the playoffs." Former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson will make his return to Ottawa on Dec. 1 when the Red Wings visit the renamed Canadian Tire Centre. As previously announced, the Maple Leafs and Red Wings will play the Winter Classic Jan. 1 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Four other outdoor games will take place as part of the NHLs Stadium Series. And the Heritage Classic returns, as Vancouver hosts Ottawa at B.C Place on March 2. The regular season concludes Sunday, April 13. The playoffs begin Wednesday, April 16. Terance Mann Clippers Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Paul George Jersey . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. https://www.clipperslockerroom.com/Ivica-Zubac-City-Edition-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. Avery Bradley Jersey . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. Amir Coffey Clippers Jersey . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil -- The final score might not have been historic, but it was sufficiently satisfying for a team trying to take the first step toward a historic gold medal in womens soccer.The Americans beat New Zealand 2-0 on Wednesday. Carli Lloyd scored the opening goal in the ninth minute, while Alex Morgan added the second in the opening minute of the second half.There were uneven moments and lulls that left a crowd to figure out the minimum attendance required to successfully pull off the wave (when it wasnt booing U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo with increasing delight every time she touched the ball). But in its sixth Olympics, the United States opened with a win for the fifth time.The United States remains in Belo Horizonte to play France on Saturday, a matchup of medal favorites and two of the top three teams in the world.More to come, but here are three observations from the Group G opener.1. Injury questions answeredWell, mostly answered. Some deft juggling at halftime marked Megan Rapinoes only appearance on the field once the game began. U.S. coach Jill Ellis elected not to give the veteran her first minutes since suffering a torn ACL in Hawaii in December.But it didnt take long to get a feel for the status of Morgan Brian and Tobin Heath, the other two health concerns entering the tournament. Both were in the starting lineup for the first time since June. And both, as Ellis suggested beforehand, looked ready for duty. That was particularly true of Heath, so easily overlooked but such a dynamic presence in wide spaces and on set-piece deliveries. She set up Lloyds opening goal and created several other chances.Squad rotation will be a common phrase here, but Heath looked indispensable enough to likely squeeze minutes from Crystal Dunn, Mallory Pugh or both.2. MMidfield questions remainThere is a difference between a problem and a question.dddddddddddd And after one game, the composition of the midfield behind Lloyd remains squarely in the camp of the latter. But there are questions as to how things best fit together after Ellis elected to pair Morgan Brian and Allie Long in the starting lineup for just the third time. That arrangement pushes up Brian to the No. 8 role, while Long fills the No. 6 role that Brian played through much of the World Cup (although rarely ever before that). And the arrangement pushes Lindsey Horan to the bench.Brian was able to slip in the ball that Morgan converted for the second goal, although Brian wasnt always a noticeable presence as the U.S. women went wide.Given that Ellis probably never intended to play Brian 90 minutes in her first start back, it made for an easy swap when Horan came on midway through the second half. And with the condensed schedule of this tournament, all three are going to play. Still, it leaves open the question of what happens against France? Ellis was pleased with the way her team played when those teams met earlier this year, and that was with Brian and Horan paired together to deny French possession.3. Carli Lloyd is agelessLloyd is effectively the same age in this tournament as Abby Wambach was when the World Cup began a year ago. That was a farewell tour, a role and minutes that had to be delicately managed. Lloyd at 34? Just put her out there for 90 minutes and let her score. She might have more memorable highlights than a looping header to the opposite post, but she put the ball in the net for the fifth game in a row at a major tournament. ' ' '