Each Wednesday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be offering his pluses and minuses for the teams competing in the NBCSN Wednesday Night Rivalry game in his Weekes on the Web blog. Weekes will also be assisting fans with three must-watch elements of the game.

Another good, old-fashioned, "we don't like you and you don't like us" rivalry game is on tap Wednesday night on NBCSN.

The Pittsburgh Penguins against the Washington Capitals, a Metropolitan Division classic made even more interesting by the standings and the fact the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline is looming at 3 p.m. ET on Monday.

Each Wednesday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be offering his pluses and minuses for the teams competing in the NBCSN Wednesday Night Rivalry game in his Weekes on the Web blog. Weekes will also be assisting fans with three must-watch elements of the game.

Here is the thing that I love about the Wednesday Night Rivalry game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at United Center (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVA Sports):

The Blackhawks have become one of the "it" teams in the NHL by reinventing themselves off of the Detroit model in so many ways; a model, by the way, that still works for the Red Wings. I'm talking about the puck-possession game, the skill game, talent, having no real meatheads on the roster, putting a premium on making plays, a lot of give-and-go's.

In so many ways I find them to be similar in how they go about their business.

A 'Hoss in Chicago, some love for Jaro, the comeback player of the year, and what not to do in Toronto, plus a couple of extras for you. It's all in my Friday Four blog this week.

He we go:

1. Marian Hossa is a machine

Hossa has been unbelievable and it's great for him. He has six goals in the past three games, two in each game. This run he's been on is amazing, but not surprising.

The value of Hossa being such a dependable star player is huge. Throughout his entire career his coaches can play him in any situation. Chicago coach Joel Quenneville can put his hand on his moustache and just say, 'Go out there, Hoss' and there would be no concern.

Each Wednesday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be offering his pluses and minuses for the teams competing in the NBCSN Wednesday Night Rivalry game in his Weekes on the Web blog. Weekes also will be assisting fans with three must-watch elements of the game.

There are three games on the NHL schedule Wednesday and two of them will be on NBCSN:

* Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins at 8 p.m. ET

* Washington Capitals at San Jose Sharks at 10:30 p.m. ET

Let's break them down, with one plus and one minus for each team:

Each Friday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be bringing you his Friday Four in his Weekes on the Web blog. He will be blogging about four players, teams, plays, trends or really four of whatever in the NHL that have caught his eye.

The Evander Kane dilemma, the amazing Calgary Flames, the transformation of their coach, and how the speed of one team became too much for the opponent. It's all in my Friday Four.

Here we go:

1. Kane, the Jets, and becoming a star

I've had a chance to spend time with Evander Kane. I've watched him. I've talked to veteran hockey scouts who have watched him since he was playing with the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. The common theme is this:

The sky is the limit for Kane and the type of hockey player he wants to be. He is strong. He is tough. He can one-punch you and knock you out. He's in unreal physical shape. He has great speed. He has a great release. He has a fantastic shot. He is smart. He has all of the tools and attributes to be a star in the NHL, but the thing is for him is does he want to be a star -- and if so, when?

Each Wednesday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be offering his pluses and minuses for the teams competing in the NBCSN Wednesday Night Rivalry game in his Weekes on the Web blog. Weekes will also be assisting fans with three must-watch elements of the game.

Size versus speed. A heavy team versus a fast team. That's what we have in store for us when the Boston Bruins visit the New York Rangers in NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry game (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA).

The Bruins have shown their power of late, winning eight of their past 10 games. The Rangers put their speed game on display against the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers in recent games, getting back to what they do best.

Boston vs. New York. Gotta love it.

Each Friday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be bringing you his Friday Four in his Weekes on the Web blog. He will be blogging about four players, teams, plays, trends or really four of whatever in the NHL that have caught his eye.

A flashy and fun rookie to watch in Calgary, a team that I now know is definitely on the rise, the Eastern Conference's new power team and an old favorite who is again the star of the show -- it's all in my Friday Four blog.

Here we go:

1. 'Johnny Hockey'

Johnny Gaudreau is unbelievable.

This is not a trend or just a hot streak, he's the real deal. He's the real deal. Obviously he was last year at Boston College, but when you consider his path and you consider that he's playing in the Western Conference it is just amazing what he's able to do.

We could be seeing a Stanley Cup Playoff preview Wednesday at Verizon Center.

It's always fun and unpredictable when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals get together, as they will for the first half of this week's Wednesday Night Rivalry doubleheader (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA, SN1). In the second game, the Los Angeles Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN, SN1).

It'll be another great night for hockey.

Each Friday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be bringing you his Friday Four in his Weekes on the Web blog. He will be blogging about four players, teams, plays, trends or really four of whatever in the NHL that have caught his eye.

COLUMBUS -- This is the All-Star version of the Friday Four, starting with the negative (injuries) and moving into the positive (Mark Giordano, Tyler Johnson, Brian Elliott, Filip Forsberg and Vladimir Tarasenko).

Each Wednesday throughout the regular season Kevin Weekes will be offering his pluses and minuses for the teams competing in the NBCSN Wednesday Night Rivalry game in his Weekes on the Web blog. Weekes will also be assisting fans with three must-watch elements of the game.

This quote from San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan courtesy of the San Jose Mercury News is telling.

"I'm concerned about our drive right now, the life that we bring to the rink and to the games," McLellan said. "I don't know if you want to call it passion, but just that internal drive per person isn't where it needs to be right now. And these are important games."

A coach questioning his team's drive should be enough to light a fire under the players. The Sharks will need that fire to ignite them Wednesday night, when they play the Los Angeles Kings at SAP Center (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).