With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are trying improve on last seasons playoff campaign - provided they can get their No. 1 centre signed to a contract. 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: Jarmo Kekalainen Head Coach: Todd Richards 2013-14: 43-32-7 (4th in Metropolitan) Playoffs: Lost in First Round Goals For: 226 (12th) Goals Against: 214 (13th) PP: 19.3% (11th) PK: 82.1% (14th) That Was Then: Last season was the most storied in the teams 16-year history. That seems like lofty praise for a first-round exit, but the Blue Jackets fought hard and got a consistent effort throughout their line-up to earn a playoff spot in the post-season. Things started ugly as the Jackets lost 10 of their first 15 games, including a pair of five-game losing streaks. Matters didnt get much better when Sergei Bobrovsky went down in early December with a groin injury. The team sweated out some wins under Curtis McElhinney and Mike McKenna and put the pedal down upon Bobrovskys return. They won eight in a row from Jan. 6 to Jan. 23 and thrust themselves into the Eastern Conference playoff race, earning the Eastern Conferences first wild card spot. Though outmatched on paper, the plucky Blue Jackets pulled out a pair of dramatic overtime wins against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in Games 2 and 4. They almost forced a Game 7, but the clock ran out on the season despite a three-goal outburst in the third period of an eventual 4-3 Game 6 loss. The Jackets saluted their rapturous fans from the ice but, more importantly, may have served notice to the league that theyre for real. In just his third NHL season, 21-year-old Ryan Johansen found his stride. He emerged as the No. 1 centre the Jackets had been waiting for and piled in 33 goals without missing a single game. How that plays out this season remains to be seen. Scott Cullens Analytics Avalanche 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.45 2.75 6.7% .931 48.4% .425 21-41 2.81 2.86 10.7% .912 48.8% .548 42-62 3.29 2.52 9.7% .928 52.4% .690 63-82 2.10 2.25 5.3% .936 52.1% .571 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: Strong goaltending wasnt enough to overcome subpar possession and shooting. Games 21-41: Goaltending dipped, but shooting skyrocketed, making them more competitive. Games 42-62: Best stretch of the season, with vastly improved possession combined with high percentages. Games 63-82: Scoring dried up, but goaltending and possession were strong enough to keep Blue Jackets in playoff picture. Key 2014 Additions: LW Jerry DAmigo, C Brian Gibbons, LW Scott Hartnell Key 2014 Subtractions: LW Blake Comeau, RW Matt Frattin, C Derek MacKenzie, G Mike McKenna, D Nick Schultz, RW Jack Skille, LW R.J. Umberger This Is Now: Building on last seasons success is no easy task for the Jackets. A full year out of Bobrovsky is also key. He shone in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and was a spark-plug for the team upon his return last year. His save percentage prior to injury was .909, but he posted a .931 mark to finish the season. The rest is up to the development of their young core and scoring depth. Johansen had his breakout year, but second in team scoring was defenceman James Wisniewski with 51 points. The addition of Scott Hartnell from the Philadelphia Flyers is a huge character boost for a team that already has a lot of that, but questions beg about his on-ice performance. He brings grit and is always good for 100 penalty minutes, but have the Jackets acquired the 20-goal player from last season or was Hartnells scoring talent buried by the Flyers depth last year? He scored 37 in 2011-12, but at 32 years-old, expecting him to do it again may be unrealistic. Hartnell does, however, provide leadership and a positive influence for the teams young forwards. Johansen, Boone Jenner, Cam Atkinson, Artem Anisimov, Nick Foligno and Brandon Dubinsky are all still in their twenties and could learn a lot from him. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Boone Jenner Ryan Johansen Nathan Horton Scott Hartnell Brandon Dubinsky Cam Atkinson Nick Foligno Artem Anisimov Matt Calvert Jerry DAmigo Mark Letestu Corey Tropp Michael Chaput Brian Gibbons Jared Boll Kerby Rychel Alexander Wennberg Simon Hjalmarsson Defence Left Right Ryan Murray James Wisniewski Fedor Tyutin Jack Johnson Tim Erixon David Savard Frederic St. Denis Dalton Prout Will Weber Cody Goloubef Goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky Curtis McElhinney Oscar Dansk Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Alexander Wennberg Alexander Wennberg is so fluid in his play. Excellent skater with the ability to move past defenders seemingly with ease. Can make plays with the puck at high speed and in tight areas. What should allow Alexander to be a top center is an outstanding sense of the game, offensively and defensively. He adapts to the situation and then takes advantage. Centre ice is a critical position in the NHL and a duo of Alexander and Ryan Johansen puts the Blue Jackets in a position for success. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Boone Jenner A physical forward with good size, Jenner earned a more prominent role late in his rookie season, scoring 15 points in his last 27 games (then five points in six playoff games), finishing the year on Ryan Johansens wing. Jenner is still young, only 21-years-old heading into his second season, and it could be too soon to forecast an offensive breakthrough, but if Johansen gets signed and there is an opportunity to build on the foundation they were laying last season, then Jenner should continue to play a prominent role in the Blue Jackets attack.
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Stitched New York Giants Jerseys . Starters, when they struggle, have to live with it for five days. For Sergio Santos and Steve Delabar, two of the three men who authored one of the ugliest pitched innings in Blue Jays franchise history on Thursday night, the bounce-back chance came right away.MONTREAL -- Sebastien Vettel will be in a daunting spot when he lines up directly behind the all-but unbeatable Mercedes AMG duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton for the start of the Canadian Grand Prix. The defending champion saw his streak of three straight pole positions in Canada come to an end in qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Instead, Vettel will start on the second row when the race begins Sunday in what is forecast to be near-perfect 27C weather. The German posted the third-quickest lap for Red Bull, while Rosberg edged Hamilton for the pole. Vettels time of one minute 15.548 seconds on the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was more than a half a second behind the two Mercedes, who have dominated F1 since the introduction this year of turbo engines. "Im always confident when I step in the car that its good enough to make it, so well have to wait and see," Vettel said. "In terms of fighting with the car, its still not where I want it to be, still not yet behaving the way I prefer. "Its not like last year when I was stepping into a dream car and everything was smooth and perfect. This year, were not tickling the right spots yet." The 26-year-old Vettel won the last four F1 championships for Renault-powered Red Bull, and took the chequered flag at the Canadian Grand Prix for the first time last year. But how times have changed. The Mercedes team has now claimed all seven pole positions to go with victories in all six F1 races this season. And the long straightaways leading to tight turns and chicanes on the Gilles-Villeneuve track seem to fit the Mercedes package to a tee, with its superior engine power and solid braking. "It was very tight between third and sixth, so Im happy I got the last lap right," said Vettel, who finished ahead of a pair of Mercedes-powered Williams cars driven by Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa. The second Red Bull piloted by Daniel Ricciardo was sixth. "Its good to start third, right behind the Mercedes. Well see what we can do from there in the race." Rosberg won the day when he put up a best lap of 1:14.874 late in the last of three qualifying sessions and Hamilton fell short by less than a 10th of a second on his final run. "Nico did a better job today," said Hamilton, without a trace of the sullen behaviour he showed after coming second to Rosberg in qualifying two weeks ago in Monaco. There, Hamilton felt he was cheated out of a chance to win pole position when Rosberg pulled off late in qualifying, drawing a yellow caution flag. The two have since talked it over and announced that the animosity brewing since the start of the season was over and that they are friends again. Whether the truce holds will be seen when they start side by side on the front row for the race. Rosberg will have the upper haand if he keeps the lead.dddddddddddd. It may he tough for Hamilton to overtake on the tight track. "Its not that easy, especially with Nico so fast," said Hamilton. "Overtaking is going to be very difficult -- to overtake the same car as mine, especially when were so close in pace. "Ill do what I can. The thing is to try to get as many points as we can." In Monaco, where it is all-but impossible to overtake, Rosberg ended Hamiltons four-race winning run and took a four-point lead in driver standings. "I know its a track where hes really strong, so Im all the more happy that it worked out," Rosberg said of his teammate. "Having won the last race, it just helps a bit. "Lewis had that winning streak and to bring that to an end was important." Rosberg sees the race going the same way the others have, with the two Mercedes battling one another for the victory and the rest of the grid fighting it out for third spot. But Hamilton said his team cant be cocky, especially on a tricky, slippery track known for mishaps and upsets. "I dont think its just between the two of us," said Hamilton. "In qualifying, Sebastian wasnt as close as perhaps they might be, but their pace was good in the last race and I anticipate that theyll be quite strong. "So we definitely cannot disregard Sebastian or Red Bull. We need to be cautious still, and make sure we keep pushing." Red Bull and Renault were left scrambling with the engine change, while Mercedes came up with the best package of engine and car. The new 1.6-litre engines are decidedly quieter, without the high-pitched whine of past F1 cars, and theyre slower. Qualifying times were more than two seconds slower than last year, when Vettel took the pole in 1:12.425. It is still early in the 19-race season, and there is a small chance someone will find a way to close the gap with Mercedes before it is over. "Theyve been very dominant the first couple of races, but we are working hard," said Vettel. "Were completely motivated and we have a strong belief in ourselves. "I think thats the reason weve been so successful the last couple of years. So, rest assured, we wont give up." Vettel matched his best qualifying result this season, while both Bottas and Massa had their best placings. Massa has started no better than seventh on the grid and his best race finish was sixth. Cars were sliding on the slick surface both in the morning practice session and in qualifying. The first 20-minute qualifying ended with 16 seconds left when Marcus Ericsson crashed his Caterham, bringing out the red flags. Earier, Pastor Maldonados Lotus stopped on the track, ending his qualifying early. Esteban Gutierrez did not take part in qualifying after crashing his Sauber in practice.
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