TSN.ca's 2014-15 NHL Season Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins

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 wasn't afraid to make changes in the offseason. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Button's analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSN's 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 you’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 Kunitz’s name as the 34-year-old was selected to Canada’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 Cullen's Analytics

Predators 2013-14 Stats by Quarter

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.

Rutherford’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 they'll 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

Craig's List

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button's 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 - Cullen's Player to Watch -  Beau Bennett

It's 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 that's 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.