from Gare Joyce of Sportsnet,

Biggest story to watch: At 32, is Henrik Lundqvist in a career wane? If somebody had told you that the Rangers were going to make a run to the final, you’d have assumed Lundqvist would be at the top of his game. Likewise, if you were told that New York was going to lock up Lundqvist with a seven-year, $59.5-milion contract last December, you’d assume he was playing at the top of his game. Yet in the 2013-14 regular season, Lundqvist was no better than a middle-of-the pack netminder. His .920 save percentage ranked 15th in league, likewise his GAA of 2.36. Compare these desultory numbers to his stats from his 2011-12: His .930 save-percentage and 1.97 goals-against won him the Vezina Trophy. Lundqvist returned to form in the playoffs—his .927 and 2.14 were better than the marks set by the other goalies in the respective conference finals, Carey Price, Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick.

2014-15 prediction: The Rangers will figure out a way to squeeze into the seventh or eighth playoff slot in the Eastern Conference and make a top seed’s life miserable or even cut a heavyweight’s spring short.

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