from Katie Strang of ESPN,

What to watch for

• Rangers rising: With the Pens ailing and the Blueshirts riding a three-game winning streak, New York has a chance to gain ground this week in the Metropolitan Division standings. Rick Nash is rolling with 28 goals -- he’s tied with the Dallas Stars’ Tyler Seguin for the league lead -- and it doesn't hurt that the Rangers play the next five games in New York, either.
• Toronto tailspin: Expect the level of hysteria and histrionics to only intensify if the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to stumble out of the All-Star break. A coaching change has yielded a more structured, defensively sound playing style under Peter Horachek, but that hasn't translated into wins as the Leafs are teetering dangerously close to falling off the proverbial cliff and missing out on the playoffs once again.

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Trending down

• Los Angeles Kings: Winners in just two of their last 10 games, the defending Stanley Cup champions are looking less and less like the team that we saw last spring. Discipline seems to be one issue that is apparent, with the Kings surrendering two power-play goals to the San Jose Sharks in their most recent loss before the break and a struggling penalty kill that ranks 25th in the league with a 77.8% success rate.
• Arizona Coyotes: Definitely a team that deserves a spot in the Connor McDavid-Jack Eichel conversation for the No. 1 overall draft pick, it’s a wonder that the fire sale has not yet begun for a downtrodden team that dropped six straight heading into this weekend’s festivities. How much further can the ‘Yotes slide down the standings? A five-game road trip coming up should give us a good idea.

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