With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up is the Montreal Canadiens - Canadas top franchise last season with a lot of pressure to improve on last springs playoff success. Catch up on their off-season moves and the issues they face this season, as well as their analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Atlantic GM: Marc Bergevin Head Coach: Michel Therrien 2013-14: 46-28-8 (3rd in Atlantic) Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Final Goals For: 209 (21st) Goals Against: 201 (8th) PP: 17.2% (19th) PK: 85.1% (4th) That Was Then: After a 2012-13 season that saw the Canadiens capture the division title and qualify for the post-season, most of the Montreal faithful were happy with their turnaround from a last place finish in the Eastern Conference basement a year earlier. Not Marc Bergevin. "There were a many positives from last year," he told his players flatly prior to last seasons training camp. "We made the playoffs but lost in the first-round (to Ottawa). We cant be satisfied with that." The Canadiens struggled in the first quarter of the season, with a 10-9-2 record and slow starts from two of their top forwards. David Desharnais, with just one assist in his first 17 games, was chastised on social media by Montreal mayor Denis Coderre - who called for his demotion to Hamilton of the American Hockey League. Max Pacioretty, who was also struggling on the score sheet, was suddenly the subject of trade speculation. All of that came to a head on Nov. 19, when Pacioretty scored a natural hat trick and Desharnais notched two assists in the Habs 6-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. That victory put the Canadiens top scoring duo back on track, as well as kickstart a 9-0-1 run through Dec. 7. The rest of December and January werent particularly kind, headlined by a listless 5-0 home loss to Washington on Jan. 25 that saw the club booed mercilessly at the Bell Centre. Cue Bergevin, who saw it all first-hand and had all of his players stay in the dressing room to address the media after the game. That subtle (or not-so-subtle depending what he said to his players) reminder of accountability worked as the Habs recovered quickly and went 5-1-1 into the Olympic break. Going into the NHLs 3pm et trade deadline on Mar. 3, things looked very quiet from the front office. The team had already acquired depth players in forward Dale Weise and defenceman Mike Weaver and appeared to be standing pat. That is, until 2:59pm et when news broke that the Canadiens - who werent even rumoured to be in the running - acquired arguably the biggest name of the day in sniper Thomas Vanek. The Austrian winger, who settled in on a line with Desharnais and Pacioretty, gave the Canadiens that added offensive punch they needed to make the post-season. Which brings us to Mar. 15 and a nationally televised Saturday night game at home against Ottawa. Down 4-1 late in the third period, the Canadiens - in an NHL first - stunned the Senators with three unanswered goals in the final three-and-a-half minutes of play en route to an incredible 5-4 overtime win. As Therrien and Bergevin later admitted, that victory turned their season around and gave them the momentum to clinch a post-season berth with an 11-3-1 finish in their final 15 games. What happened in the playoffs was beyond just about everyones expectations, as the Canadiens knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning and hated Boston Bruins before losing out in six games to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. Just two wins shy of their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993, it will be difficult for Bergevin and Therrien to temper expectations after the Habs best post-season showing of this generation. Scott Cullens Analytics Canadiens 2013-14 Stats By Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.55 2.10 5.9% .942 50.3% .550 21-41 2.33 2.14 7.5% .923 47.2% .683 42-62 2.62 2.76 7.9% .930 47.8% .595 63-82 2.70 2.60 9.6% .926 47.6% .625 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: Spectacular goaltending from Carey Price overcame a lack of finish early. Games 21-41: Percentages closer to average, possession falls, but record strong thanks to four OT/SO wins. Games 42-62: Top-shelf goaltending and improved finish kept Habs rolling, despite subpar possession stats. Games 63-82: Addition of Thomas Vanek helped elevate shooting percentage. Key 2014 Additions: F P-A Parenteau, F Manny Malhotra, F Jiri Sekac, D Tom Gilbert Key 2014 Subtractions: F Daniel Briere, F Brian Gionta, D Josh Gorges, D Francis Bouillon, F Ryan White, D Douglas Murray, F Louis Leblanc, F Thomas Vanek, F George Parros This Is Now: Daniel Brieres tenure with the Canadiens lasted just one season, as the veteran centre was shipped to the Colorado Avalanche for a younger, bigger and more productive P-A Parenteau. Bergevin also parted ways with captain Brian Gionta and shot-blocking blueliner Josh Gorges, as both headed to the Buffalo Sabres through free agency and a trade. On July 1, the Canadiens added faceoff specialist Manny Malhotra, who should take some of the defensive zone responsibilities off two-way centres Tomas Plekanec and Lars Eller. Free agent defenceman Tom Gilbert was also brought in, providing power play help and a valuable right-handed shot behind Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban. Markov appears to be a career Canadien after signing a new three-year contract prior to July 1, while Subban - much to the delight of Canadiens fans - signed an eight-year, $72 million contract. Giontas absence leaves the Canadiens with two roles to fill - a stable second/third line right winger and a leader in the dressing room. Parenteau believes he can take the role on the second line, while free agent signing Jiri Sekac will also get a look. Where the leadership element is concerned, Giontas (and Gorges) departure means the torch will be passed to a core headlined by younger players like Pacioretty, Subban and Brendan Gallagher. TSN Montreal reporter John Lus Five Key Storylines heading into training camp: 1. How is Carey Prices left knee (injured in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in a collision with Chris Kreider) and can he replicate his (non-Olympic) success? 2. Will a bigger contract mean bigger responsibilities for P.K. Subban? 3. Who will win the battle at right wing on the second and third lines? 4. Who will be the Canadiens captain after losing two key leaders in Gorges and Gionta? 5. Young defenders contending to be full-time NHLers - how will Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn fit in? DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Max Pacioretty David Desharnais Brendan Gallagher Alex Galchenyuk Tomas Plekanec PA Parenteau Rene Bourque Lars Eller Dale Weise Brandon Prust Manny Malhotra Jiri Sekac Travis Moen Michael Bournival Sven Andrighetto Jacob De la Rose Gabriel Dumont Patrick Holland Defence Left Right Andrei Markov P.K. Subban Alexei Emelin Tom Gilbert Nathan Beaulieu Mike Weaver Jarred Tinordi Greg Pateryn Davis Drewiske Morgan Ellis Mac Bennett Darren Dietz Goaltenders Carey Price Peter Budaj Dustin Tokarski Craigs List A list of the Canadiens top prospects as ranked by TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button. A-Level Prospects No. Name Pos. 2013-14 Club 1 Jacob de la Rose LW Leksands (SWE) 2 Zach Fucale G Halifax (QMJHL) 3 Nikita Scherbak RW Saskatoon (WHL) 4 Artturi Lehkonen LW KalPa (FIN) B-Level Prospects No. Name Pos. 2013-14 Club 5 Jiri Sekac LW Lev Praha (KHL) 6 Jeremy Gregoire C Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) 7 Charles Hudon LW Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) 8 Sven Andrighetto RW Hamilton (AHL) 9 Greg Pateryn D Hamilton (AHL) 10 Mac Bennett D Michigan (NCAA) A-Level prospects are prospective starting goaltenders, top four defencemen and top six forwards. B-Level prospects are prospective backup goaltenders, bottom pairing defencemen and bottom six forwards. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch Alex Galchenyuk The third overall pick in 2012 has shown flashes of talent in two pro campaigns, but struggled during his sophomore season, particularly after missing time with a broken hand, scoring three goals and eight points in 21 games after returning from the injury. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old has the size and skill to be a difference maker for the Habs, provided he is utilized in a sufficiently prominent offensive role. Through his first two years, there have been some ups and down when it comes to ice time, as Galchenyuk has averaged 13:30 per game over his first 113 NHL games, but if he stays healthy, and plays a top-six role this season, Galchenyuk could be poised for a breakthrough season. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Blue Tint/Grey Three-High Resolution Red . Cabrera is hitting .218 with three homers and 16 RBI in 80 games this season. The Padres recalled second baseman Brooks Conrad from Triple-A El Paso to replace Cabrera on the roster. Yeezy 350 v2 Zebra 2019 . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk. http://www.yeezys350cheap.com/fake-yeezy...-wholesale.html. Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card, are in the drivers seat as they open the final series of the regular season, but they face a large task in the form of the Philadelphia Phillies. Wholesale Yeezy 350 v2 Womens . Inter Milan ended its five-match winless streak in all competitions by beating 10-man Bologna 3-1 on new manager Claudio Ranieris debut, while injury-plagued AC Milan edged Cesena 1-0 with an early goal from Clarence Seedorf. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Black . Meanwhile, the Jets extended their winning streak to four and remain perfect under Paul Maurice. Its the Jets second four-game winning streak of the season, the other coming in mid-November. The Bruins win in OT, the Wild dominate in a 2-1 win and the Kings tell the Sharks to put away the brooms. Scott Cullen has notes on Tatar, Pominville, Hishon, Brown, Voynov and more. GETTING IGGY WITH IT Jarome Iginla deflected a Dougie Hamilton wrist shot off Red Wings D Danny DeKeyser for the overtime winner in the Bruins 3-2 Game Four victory. Boston leads the series three games to one. The night started right for the Red Wings, with goals scored by new fathers Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall (who assisted on each others goals) to give the home side a 2-0 lead, but Torey Krug and Milan Lucic scored to tie the game. Detroit had good news and bad news on the lineup front coming into the game. LW Henrik Zetterberg was deemed ready to play -- his first game since February 8 -- and he logged 19:34 of ice time. The bad news, coming in, was that starting goaltender Jimmy Howard was unable to play because of the flu, leaving Jonas Gustavsson to handle the job. Gustavsson played well, stopping 37 of 40 Bruins shots, and the winning goal was a bad bounce off his defenceman, not something for which he should take blame. Forced to play from behind, the Bruins ended up with better possession stats over the course of the game, with their second and third lines both getting more than two-thirds of the even-strength shot attempts when they were on the ice. Bruins D Matt Bartkowski tied for the team lead with six hits in Game Four and his 26:40 of ice time ranked second on the team, behind Zdeno Chara. Red Wings LW Tomas Tatar had a game-high eight shots on goal in 14:41 of ice time. The loss leaves the Red Wings in a 3-1 hole, a deficit that will be very difficult to overcome, particularly with their inability to score. Tatar, Gustav Nyquist and Riley Sheahan were three of the Wings most important forwards this season and that trio has yet to record a point through four games. A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE The final score of Game Four between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild was a 2-1 Wild win, which would denote a close game, but it really wasnt as close as the score appeared. The Wild outshot the Avalanche 32-12 (47-19 in shot attempts), so it was a relatively easy game for Minnesota G Darcy Kuemper, stopping 11 shots to earn the win. Leading the way for Minnesota was the line of Zach Parise, Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville, as all three were on for more than 80% of the shot attempts.dddddddddddd Pominville was on the ice for 22 5-on-5 shot attempts for and two against. Coming into Game Four, the Avalanche knew they would be in tough, missing D Tyson Barrie, and they clearly missed Barries ability to move the puck. Ryan Wilson, who was inserted into the Avalanche lineup, was on the ice for 2-of-16 (12.5%) shot attempts at 5-on-5. The series is even and going back to Colorado, but the signs are tilting in the direction of the Wild. Not only are the Avs missing Barrie and C Matt Duchene, but Minnesota has been the most dominant possession team (and Colorado the mirror image) to this point in the first round. In a bit of a feel-good story for the Avalanche, C Joey Hishon, a first-round pick in 2010, made his NHL debut. Hishon suffered a concussion at the 2011 Memorial Cup and has battled injuries since, but he played 6:31 for the Avs in Game Four, getting time on the power play to accompany sporadic fourth-line shifts. STAYING ALIVE Facing elimination, the Los Angeles Kings avoided the sweep with a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Marian Gaborik and Justin Williams each scored a pair of goals for the Kings, while rookie RW Tyler Toffoli added a goal and an assist. Kings captain Dustin Brown also had a goal and an assist, along with a game-high 10 hits, though he had the worst possession stats of any Kings forward. The Sharks outshot the Kings, 39-31 (43-37 5-on-5 shot attempts), while the defence tandem of Robyn Regehr and Slava Voynov was eaten up. With Voynov on the ice, the Kings had 25% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts. With Voynov off the ice, the Kings held 55.4% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts. Sharks G Antti Niemi was chased from the net after surrendering five goals on 26 shots. Alex Stalock only needed to make four saves in 17:46 of action. Sharks LW Patrick Marleau picked up a couple of assists, giving him seven points through four games. Even though the Kings managed to stave off elimination, they have a tall order to catch the Sharks in this series, heading back to San Jose for Game Five and coming out second-best in the series puck possession battle. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '