s late-season surge.Omaha, NE (SportsNetwork.com) - Down by two

With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Pittsburgh Penguins, a Cup contender that wasnt afraid to make changes in the offseason. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Metropolitan GM: Jim Rutherford Head Coach: Mike Johnston 2013-14: 51-24-7 (1st in Metropolitan) Playoffs: Lost in conference semifinals Goals For: 242 (5th) Goals Against: 204 (10th) Powerplay: 23.4% (1st) Penalty Kill: 85.0% (5th) That Was Then: On paper, 2013-14 was about as textbook a season as youa€?re likely to see out of the Penguins in the Sidney Crosby era. The team won 51 games to handily take the first ever Metropolitan Division title. Crosby played 80 games for the first time since his Rocket Richard Trophy-winning 2010 season, marking a much-needed return to health after years of battling concussions. Crosby not only returned, but returned to form. The Kid won the scoring race by 17 points, claiming MVP honours from both the writers (winning his second career Hart Memorial Trophy) and the players (winning a second straight Ted Lindsay Award and the third Lindsay/Pearson of his career). Canada also learned Chris Kunitza€?s name as the 34-year-old was selected to Canadaa€?s Olympic team. Questioned by some as a choice of convenience for Sochi, Kunitz still won gold with Canada and dressed in all six tournament games. He finished the season with a new career-high in goals (35, nine higher than his previous best) and points (68). The Pens were pushed in the first round by the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets. Not given much chance by most analysts, the Blue Jackets fought their way to two overtime victories before bowing to the Pens in a thrilling six games. After dropping their second-round opener to the New York Rangers, the Pens looked to have a second straight Conference Final trip booked, winning their next three games by a combined 9-2 score. Marc-Andre Fleury was all world over those three games, posting a 145-minute shutout streak, partly exorcising the demons of his playoff struggles in recent years. The series got away from the Penguins, though. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist played some of the best hockey of his career and held the Penguins to just one goal in each of the remaining games and lifting his team to the Eastern Conference Final and eventually the Cup Final. The Rangers also rallied around personal tragedy suffered by Martin St. Louis to play an inspired final three. Losing out by a combined 10-3 score, the Penguins were sent packing with Crosby failing to register a point in the last three games. Scott Cullens Analytics Predators 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.70 2.35 7.4% .913 54.2% .600 21-41 3.38 2.24 8.7% .922 51.2% .833 42-62 3.19 2.81 9.1% .909 48.5% .643 63-82 2.40 2.55 8.0% .926 46.6% .575 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: A decent start, despite subpar percentages, thanks to strong possession numbers. Games 21-41: Sensational segment, with all facets of the game working. Games 42-62: Signs of trouble, evident by declining possession, hidden by excellent finishing ability . Games 63-82: Goaltending finished strong, offsetting continued decline in possession. Key 2014 Additions: LW Blake Comeau, RW Steve Downie, D Christian Ehrhoff, G Thomas Greiss, RW Patric Hornqvist, C Nick Spaling Key 2014 Subtractions: RW Chris Conner, D Deryk Engelland, LW Tanner Glass, LW Jussi Jokinen, RW Chuck Kobasew, RW James Neal, D Matt Niskanen, D Brooks Orpik, LW Taylor Pyatt, RW Lee Stempniak, C Joe Vitale This Is Now: General manager Ray Shero and coach Dan Bylsma were handed their walking papers and the message was clear: We expect championships. Enter long-time Hurricane boss Jim Rutherford as GM and Portland Winterhawks coach/GM Mike Johnston behind the bench. Rutherforda€?s resume speaks for itself: The only GM in Hurricanes history up to this season, he took the former Hartford Whalers and made them first into a Cup challenger and then into a champion around a core of Eric Staal and Cam Ward. Johnston has led the Winterhawks to four straight WHL finals, winning one championship. Under his watch, players like Ryan Johansen, Seth Jones and Nino Niederreiter worked their way to NHL regularity while Derrick Pouliot, Ty Rattie, Sven Baertschi and Nic Petan have come through as top prospects. And theyll be charged with getting results out of the Crosby-Malkin-Letang-Fleury backbone with a new supporting cast that features the likes of 30-goal man Patric Hornqvist and uber-pest Steve Downie up front with buyout castaway Christian Ehrhoff chipping in from the point. Any team that has Crosby and Malkin is a near-lock for the playoffs. What lies beyond is the key question for the Pens. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Chris Kunitz Sidney Crosby Pascal Dupuis Kasperi Kapanen Evgeni Malkin Patric Hornqvist Nick Spaling Brandon Sutter Steve Downie Blake Comeau Marcel Goc Craig Adams Beau Bennett Oskar Sundqvist Jayson Megna Bobby Farnham Andrew Ebbett Anton Zlobin Defence Left Right Christian Ehrhoff Kris Letang Paul Martin Olli Maatta Rob Scuderi Robert Bortuzzo Simon Despres Brian Doumoulin Derrick Pouliot Philip Samuelsson Goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury Thomas Greiss Jeff Zatkoff Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Derrick Pouliot Derrick has the ability to make the game look effortless. With excellent awareness and vision, he is capable of getting the puck to players who can threaten offensively. He combines that with outstanding poise, so he can allow a play to develop. With superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, scoring opportunities will be numerous. Mike Johnston, his junior coach, is now the head coach of the Penguins so knowing the capabilities of Derrick is not a learning process for him. Coming off shoulder surgery will delay his debut but his impact in an important area of the game will be welcomed. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Beau Bennett Its been a rocky road for the 20th pick in the 2010 Draft, who was limited to 21 games with the Penguins last season as he recovered from wrist surgery, then suffered a leg injury in training camp this year and will miss at least a month at the start of the season. Nevertheless, Bennett has contributed 21 points in 47 career NHL games, showing enough flashes of skill to indicate that he may be able to fill a spot in the Penguins top six and thats where the real upside lies with Bennett -- the opportunity to play alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin will present immediate scoring opportunities. This run of injuries is more adversity for Bennett to overcome, but there is enough upside in the 22-year-old winger to make a patient approach worthwhile. Eric Paschall Warriors Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. David West Warriors Jersey . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. https://www.warriorsrookiesshop.com/Nate-Thurmond-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Sopoaga hit the upright with his first shot at goal from 15 metres. He then kicked nine goals in succession -- two conversions and seven penalties -- before being replaced in the 62nd minute, three points short of the Highlanders record for most points in a match. Klay Thompson Warriors Jersey . Bale has had a successful debut season in Spain, and Ancelotti appears ready to reward him with a starting role on Saturday. Ancelotti says "Gareth had some problems at the beginning (of the season) but when he found good physical condition he scored a lot of goals, he had a good impact on the team. Mitch Richmond Jersey . Johns IceCaps erased an early two-goal deficit to come from behind and defeat the host Portland Pirates 5-4 on Saturday in American Hockey League action.CALGARY -- After seven years of learning the ropes in Phoenix, Brad Treliving says hes ready to return home and take the reins of an NHL team in a hockey-mad market. The Flames announced Monday that Treliving, a former assistant general manager with the Coyotes, will take over the vacant GM spot in Calgary. "Im ready for this,"Treliving said. "I know the challenges here we have ahead of us as a team ... I know the expectations of this market. I know the expectations of this fan base. And I want you to know Im prepared for this and Im ready for this challenge." Team president of hockey operations Brian Burke officially announced the hiring at an afternoon news conference. "Make no mistake about it folks, Brad is the general manager of this team, effective right now," Burke said, adding that Treliving was the only candidate the Flames interviewed. "Its important people understand that. It speaks volumes for what we think of Brad as a general manager," Burke said. Treliving, a native of Penticton, B.C., referred to himself a "proud Western Canadian" and said he welcomed the move. "In a lot of ways I look at this as a homecoming," the 44-year-old said. "Coming in yesterday, seeing the Rocky Mountains ... I appreciate Brian and (Flames president and CEO Ken Kings) hospitality. You got rid of the snow for a guy whos had his blood thinning in the desert the past few years." Treliving also had kind words for the Coyotes organization, where he worked closely with GM Don Maloney and was in charge of their AHL affiliate in Portland. Treliving worked for the Coyotes while they were on shaky ground and administered by the NHL before being bought by a Canadian-led group last year. "I know for a lot of people up here and outsidee of the Phoenix market over the past few years, theres been a lot of stories written (but) it was a great experience there because of the people there.dddddddddddd" Treliving will take over general manager duties from Burke, who served as interim GM after firing Jay Feaster in December. "He is the single most significant factor for me being here today," Treliving said of Burke. Treliving is also assistant GM for Team Canada at the IIHF world championship. He previously served as president of the Central Hockey League and president and director of hockey operations for the Western Professional Hockey League, which he founded. The Flames missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season after finishing with a 35-40-7 record for 77 points. Calgary was 13th in the Western Conference standings. As the Coyotes vice-president of hockey operations, Treliving worked closely with Maloney on personnel matters and helping build a team despite the financial limitations of being run by the NHL for four seasons. "Brad has learned at the knee of a general manager for whom I have great respect, Don Maloney. Hes been directly and actively involved in every facet of the general managers job," Burke said "He has a keen mind and a reputation as an extremely hard worker. Its my job to provide Brad with whatever guidance and leadership I can." The team made the playoffs in each of their four seasons without an owner before failing to reach the post-season the past two seasons. Trelivings duties also included managing the professional and amateur scouting staffs and making player personnel assignments to the teams minor-league affiliates. Treliving, who played in the International Hockey League, AHL and ECHL, is the son of Boston Pizza co-owner Jim Treliving. ' ' '