: The Wild finished 26-10-5 at Xcel Energy Center this season,

Leigh Griffiths admits he will have to prove himself to the new Celtic manager next season, despite being named PFA Scotland footballer of the year. And the Hoops striker plans to bulk up in an effort to nail down a regular starting berth in Scotland manager Gordon Strachans international line-up. Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of Hearts losing the league title at Dens Park Celtic are looking for their third boss in just over two years after Ronny Deila revealed last month that he will not be in charge of the five-in-a-row champions after the summer. Despite scoring 39 goals in all competitions this season, the former Hibernian and Wolves striker says there are a number of aspects he can still improve on.Speaking from the Hoops Lennoxtown training complex, where he showed off the trophy he picked up at a ceremony in Glasgow on Sunday, he said: This is the main one.For a professional footballer, you are playing against teams week in and week out and for them to vote you the best player in the country is special. Ronny Deilla calling time on Hoops this summer after two years at Celtic Park But you can always improve, you cant just rest on what you have been doing so far. Next season I will be looking to improve my game, I will be stronger, more physical, trying to hold defenders off, and keep scoring goals.The fitness guys give you a programme to work on. We are not going to get a lot of time off, especially with the Scotland games coming up as well. But for the time Im going to get off, I will be in the gym a lot. I will be going out running and Ill be coming back fit.Everyone at the club will have a clean slate. The new manager coming in will have players who are in favour and players who wont be in favour. Its just up to them to work their way back into the squad. Griffiths (on floor) celebrates goal No 39 of the campaign in win over Hearts Ive had a good season so far but the new manager coming in will have his own idea and hopefully I will be part of that plan.And Griffiths, who has been capped seven times by Scotland, believes he has to increase his upper body strength in order to wrest the No 9 jersey from Sunderlands Steven Fletcher and Chris Martin of Derby.I have to because Im not the tallest, he said. Ive got a good spring on me, but Im not like Fletcher or Chris Martin who have got a bit of height about them. Gordon Strachan gave Griffiths Scotland debut against Croatia Im a small guy who will put himself about but Ive not got that height so I need to be stronger and hold defenders off.Griffiths received his award from Strachan but admits he resisted the temptation to lobby the national coach for a start in the forthcoming friendlies against Italy and France.I did that a couple of years ago when I won the sports writers award, added Griffiths, who only played 15 minutes of Scotlands failed Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. He was a guest at the top table and I managed to win that award and I gave him a little bit for not picking me beforehand. And I managed to get my debut a couple of weeks later when we played Croatia.But Im just happy to be back in the squad now, and if I can get a start Ill be buzzing, and if not Ill sit on the bench and wait my turn.We have a lot of good strikers that are all vying for than one place. Its a very acute formation with one striker and you have got to be playing well and you have got to be in favour. Hopefully, come June and the World Cup qualifiers, I can be that man. Also See: Celtic video Celtic fixtures Celtic stats Get ￡10 free bet! Nike Roshe Clearance Sale . The world No. 1 had one of the most dominating performances in a final and was on his way to a possible shutout on Sunday until the third-seeded Berdych broke the super Serbs serve in the 12th game of the match. Nike Roshe Sale Cheap . Wayne and Cindy Tuck of Ilderton, Ont., closed out round-robin play earlier in the day with a 7-3 win over Finland but needed a win over Austria to reach the final eight. http://www.nikeroshecheap.com/ . The Senators return from a lengthy layoff caused by Wednesdays attack on Parliament Hill to host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Cheap Nike Roshes For Sale .J. -- New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is going to start the off-season training program with a surgically repaired left ankle. Nike Roshe Sneakers On Sale .Y. - The NFL has fined Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch $20,000 for making an obscene gesture during last Sundays NFC championship game, a person with knowledge of the fine told The Associated Press on Thursday. ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Nathan MacKinnon and his equally skilled Colorado linemates Gabe Landeskog and Paul Stastny were too fast for Minnesota in the first two games. In losing twice to the Avalanche, the Wild found themselves flat-footed at the wrong times and letting their young, potent opponent dictate the pace and flow. So how to change the direction of the series? Going home is a good place to start. After MacKinnon, Landeskog and Stastny combined for four goals and six assists Saturday in Game 2, the Wild will now have the benefit of the last change in Game 3. That means coach Mike Yeo can match Matt Cooke, Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter with the MacKinnon express, a mix of grit and speed that could help the Wild stem the tide a bit. "Im a third-line player for a reason and I feel like thats the best way Im able to contribute," Cooke said Sunday. He added: "Obviously I want that matchup." Here are five more things to know about the series as it shifts Monday for Game 3: WHOS IN WILD NET?: The Wild survived injury and illness involving their top three goalies this season, surging into the playoffs behind fourth option Ilya Bryzgalov. But Bryzgalov was pulled from Game 2 in the second period. Darcy Kuemper entered and stopped all 14 shots he faced. Asked after practice Sunday who will get the assignment, Yeo was glib. "Yes, we will," the coach said, smiling. Bryzgalov has plenty of past post-season experience with Philadelphia, Phoenix and Anaheim, but that includes plenty of goals given up, too. "If that were what we were choose to do it would be because, first off, he made some big saves in the game. I dont think we should forget about that. We werent playing our game in front of him. And this is a guy whos played a lot of good hockey for us," Yeo said. Kuempers performances in January and February are another reason the Wild were able to make it this far. He slumped a bit in late March and then suffered a concussion. Kuemper said he knocked the rust off in practice last week and felt in full rhythm Saturday iin his first action in three weeks.dddddddddddd. "If I do get the start Im really excited. Its a big game for the team, and Im going to do my part and Im sure everyone else is going to do their part," he said. VARLY MEANS VICTORY: Semyon Varlamov led the NHL this season with a whopping 41 victories, but the Avalanche won Game 1 without a strong showing by their goalie. Varlamov was much better in Game 2. "We were a little nervous in the first game. Some of us never played in the playoffs. It was pretty tough to start. When youre nervous you sometimes try to do different things," Varlamov said. Coach Patrick Roy didnt need the relief, though. "A lot of people thought a lot about the first game but, hey, he played well enough to win," Roy said. "I had no doubt in my mind he was going to play a really solid game. He was sharp. He made the key save. I have so much confidence in him and faith in him." BACK HOME: The Wild finished 26-10-5 at Xcel Energy Center this season, the seventh-best record in the league. For fans who havent celebrated a series victory by this team since 2003, anticipation for this first home game will be high. The shift in vocal support from one side to the other always has the potential to impact a playoff series. "You can feel it, just the atmosphere, when you walk into that rink," Yeo said. OLD PALS: MacKinnon, like many NHL stars, spent two years at Minnesota prep school Shattuck St. Marys, which is in Faribault about 50 miles south of St. Paul. MacKinnon said several of his friends from those days will be coming to the game. THE MATH: Teams that win the first two games in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoffs series have an all-time series record of 287-45, a winning percentage of .864. That doesnt bode well for the Wild, but the Avalanche would of course be unwise to rely on the law of averages to advance them to the next round. "We just want to remain focused," Roy said. "Cant make a conclusion after only two wins. Now all weve earned is a chance to win Game 3 tomorrow." ' ' '