PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosbys mini-vacation after the latest triumph in his remarkable career lasted all of four days.Sorry, but the process of defending a Stanley Cup waits for no one. So there Crosby was on Tuesday skating in line rushes with the rest of his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates just five days removed from leading Team Canada to the World Cup of Hockey title as the tournaments MVP.And no, Crosby wasnt about to complain about being tired. Thats simply not his way. Besides, his electric performance during the World Cup offered plenty of proof hes fresh as the Penguins look to become the first team since the 1998 Detroit Red Wings to repeat as Cup champions.When youre playing a lot of hockey its more comfortable, Crosby said. You just have to balance rest and recovery and making sure youre ready to play.Crosby certainly looked ready while piling up 10 points during Canadas clinical domination of the eight-team tournament that featured the worlds best players. He was a unanimous selection as tournament MVP just a few months removed from being named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner after guiding the Penguins to their fourth championship.Theres no danger of burnout, however. Crosby is a rink rat in the best sense. The Penguins were certainly happy to have his familiar No. 87 on the ice, allowing coach Mike Sullivan to work extensively on special teams for the first time during camp.Thats just fine by Crosby, who is well aware of the challenge that awaits the Penguins after they visit the White House on Thursday and raise the Cup banner to the rafters at newly renamed PPG Paints Arena during the season opener next Thursday against Washington.Theres a reason why it hasnt been done for a long time, Crosby said. Everyone wants to beat you. Everyone wants to measure themselves against you.The last time Pittsburgh tried to go back-to-back the Penguins didnt make it out of the second round of the playoffs in 2010. Five sometimes turbulent years for the franchise and its star followed before Sullivans arrival last December and a commitment by management to provide needed depth galvanized Pittsburgh last spring, leading a sprint through the postseason that ended with Crosby taking the Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman for a second time.The Penguins did little to tinker with their personnel during the offseason, which should only aid Crosby as he gets up to speed.It shouldnt take long to adjust or adapt, Crosby said. Playing kind of long into last year, that intensity, that desperation that you finish the season off, you hopefully can kind of carry that off to the start of this season. Russ Francis Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Monty Stickles Jersey . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/custom-j-d-smith-jersey-large-841f.html . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Tai Streets Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Joe Montana Jersey . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. On Saturday, New York Mets prospects Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo passed each other in the night. Conforto was a draft day sleeper pick who could not sustain last years debut performance and was sent down. Nimmo rebounded from an underwhelming 2015 with 250 great at-bats at Triple-A to earn a promotion. It remains to be seen whether either will become a productive major leaguer.As much as Id like to have some secret insight into how young players will perform, projecting the career paths of prospects is fraught with uncerttainty.ddddddddddddWe often hear that pitching prospects are impossible to predict, but hitters are not much easier. Id like to rely on minor league performance or scouting reports or first-hand observation, but none of those provides any guarantees. A look at some of todays young players reveals how difficult a task this is. The following hitters are ranked by preseason average draft position (ADP). ' ' '