Pluses, minuses for Oilers-Blues, Blackhawks-Ducks

Each Wednesday throughout the regular season, Kevin Weekes will be offering his pluses and minuses for the teams competing in the NBCSN Wednesday Night Hockey game in his Weekes on the Web blog.

This week, it's a doubleheader on Wednesday Night Hockey. First, the Edmonton Oilers (13-12-2) visit the St. Louis Blues (9-13-3) at Enterprise Center (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVAS, SN). Then the Chicago Blackhawks (9-14-5) visit the Anaheim Ducks (14-10-5) at Honda Center (10:30 p.m. ET; NBSCN, WGN).
Here's my breakdown of the games:

Oilers

Pluses: They've looked a lot better since Ken Hitchcock took over as coach Nov. 20. Their record is 4-2-1 and they've allowed 17 goals. His defensive style is evident; they are winning close games and not giving up many opportunities.
Goalie Mikko Koskinen has been lights out. He's started four straight games and eight of 10. He's 8-3-1 with a 2.23 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and two shutouts and is outperforming Cam Talbot. It's no sure thing he'll start, but I'd say it's highly likely.
It also should help if center Connor McDavid, who missed a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday because of illness, is able to play. And it looks like he will after he practiced on Tuesday.
Minuses: If McDavid is unable to play, the whole dynamic of the team will change. He leads the with 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) and there aren't many others who are following him. Forward Leon Draisaitl (30 points) and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (24 points) are the only other Oilers scoring consistently.
Their penalty kill ranked 26th in the NHL at 75.6 percent entering play Tuesday. They have allowed at least one power-play goal in 16 of 27 games and with their new style of defense, one power-play goal could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Blues

Pluses: Forward Ryan O'Reilly leads the Blues in goals (12), assists (16) and points (28) and we know what he does defensively and in the face-off circle (60.1%). O'Reilly plays major minutes (20:29 per game) and has been a great addition since coming in a trade with the Sabres on July 1.
Defenseman Colton Parayko has been a steady presence, averaging 22:06 per game. He has seven points (four goals, three assists) and scored the overtime winner against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
Minuses:It's been two months and the team has yet to mesh, with numerous newcomers in addition to O'Reilly (forwards Tyler Bozak and David Perron). St. Louis was expected to be a Cup contender with these additions but is close to the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference. The Blues have followed up great performances with duds. They defeated the Nashville Predators 6-2 on Nov. 23 and followed that up allowing five goals to Patrik Laine in an 8-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets the next night. They defeated the Avalanche 3-2 in overtime on Friday and didn't show up in a 6-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes the next night.
The Blues have not helped out their goalies at all. Jake Allen and Chad Johnson can't be counted on to keep the team in every game. Allen has taken his lumps, mostly unfairly. He's 7-7-3 with a 3.24 GAA and .896 save percentage, which hasn't been indicative of his play. And Johnson's stats aren't any better (2-6-0, 3.51 GAA, .889 save percentage), but he's had only two bad games in his seven starts.

Blackhawks

Pluses: Jonathan Toews (12 goals) is only one goal behind Patrick Kane (13) for the team lead. Remember Toews, who has scored at least 20 goals in 11 straight seasons, had 20 last season and that was a down year for him. He has 22 points in 28 games and has been one of the only Blackhawks player who has been performing this season.
I like what I've seen from rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju. He doesn't have a goal but has shown he can pass (10 assists) and plays 21 minutes per game. When he's been in the lineup, he has made a difference more often than not for the Blackhawks.
Minuses: This is a very steep plunge from where they were in seasons past. But the Blackhawks are giving up way too many Grade-A looks. They have allowed at least four goals in six of their past seven games (1-6-0), and are allowing 3.68 goals per game, which ranks 30th in the NHL. You can't underperform in the Central Division. Chicago did that last season and ended up finishing in last place. They enter this game two points up on the Blues, who are in last, but St. Louis has played three fewer games.
Only three players have scored at least 10 goals; Kane, Toews and Alex DeBrincat (10). In years past, they were successful because of their ability to get production throughout the lineup.

Ducks

Pluses: The goalies (John Gibson and Ryan Miller) have been great. Gibson (2.58 GAA, .927 save percentage) and Miller (2.47 GAA, .929 save percentage) have kept the Ducks in almost every game. Miller can become the winningest U.S.-born goalie in NHL history, breaking a tie with John Vanbiesbrouck; they each have 374 wins.
If that performance, coming back from down four goals and defeating the defending champion Washington Capitals 6-5 on Sunday doesn't spark them, nothing will. Despite not playing at their best, the Ducks are in second place in the Pacific Division, having won four straight. Remember, they were 5-9-4 in the 18 games prior.
Minuses: Rickard Rakell has emerged as their go-to goal scorer in recent seasons but hasn't produced this season. He has five goals in 29 games after he led Anaheim with 34 last season and 33 in 2016-17.
It's not just Rakell; the whole team has struggled to score. It's tough to win games when you don't score and they've scored three or fewer goals in 25 of 29 games this season and two or fewer in 16 games.