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Globe staff predictions for NHL season

Globe hockey writers Amalie Benjamin, Fluto Shinzawa, and Kevin Paul Dupont, and assistant sports editor James Hoban make their predictions for conference and Stanley Cup winners in the 2014-15 season.AMALIE BENJAMIN

East: Tampa Bay over New York Rangers — Amalie Arena brings the Lightning the luck. Or maybe it’s Steven Stamkos.

West: Los Angeles over Chicago — Yes, again.

Final: Los Angeles over Tampa Bay — The defending champs defend their title.

FLUTO SHINZAWA

East: Boston over New Jersey. The definition of a playoff tractor pull.

West: Los Angeles over Chicago. Corey Crawford will find a way to let in a critical softie.

Final: Los Angeles over Boston. Kings celebrate back-to-backs by eating tacos out of the Cup.

KEVIN PAUL DUPONT

East: Penguins over Rangers: Pens prevail even though Marty St. Louis outscores Sid the Kid.

West: St Louis over Chicago: Series ranks second in entertainment to the Sutter family brawl it sparks in Viking, Alberta.

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Final: St. Louis over Pittsburgh. Forty-five years later, Blues erase the image of the flying Orr goal.

JIM HOBAN

East: Pittsburgh over Montreal. And their bottom-six players stink.

West: Anaheim over Chicago — Ryan Kelser, who would have looked great in Black and Gold, is the difference.

Final: Anaheim over Pittsburgh — Getzlaf, Perry, Kelser. Hmm. No salary-cap problems for Ducks?

Amalie Benjamin’s Eastern Conference prediction was revised from earlier versions of this story.