Pluses, minuses for Blackhawks, Capitals

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 assist fans with three must-watch elements of the game.
The Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks each had the best record in their respective conference last season; the Blackhawks lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals were defeated in the second round.

This season, neither team has fared as well. Although it has won five of its past six games, Washington (16-11-1) is in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. Chicago (12-10-5) is in fifth place in the Central Division and has lost a season-high four straight games (0-2-2).
The Blackhawks look to end their losing streak when they visit the Capitals at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV). Here's my breakdown of the game:

Blackhawks

Pluses: Although he hasn't been talked about as much as some other rookies, forward Alex DeBrincat, 19, is having a fine season. I talked to Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, and he raved about this kid. He has 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 27 games and has gotten more and more comfortable. He has four power-play points and is doing all of this in less than 15 minutes of ice time per game (14:25).
It may not be sitting in a playoff spot right now, but Chicago still has veterans on its roster who can help turn it around. Forward Patrick Kane, center Jonathan Toews and defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook each has three Stanley Cup rings, and each has a big voice in the locker room. The defense hasn't been the problem, but we've come to expect more timely goals and plays from the Blackhawks over the years.
Lastly, they're tied for sixth in the NHL in goals-against per game (2.66), a credit to how well goaltender Corey Crawford has played for most of the season, and fifth on the penalty kill (84.4 percent). Chicago has lost four of its past five games by one goal, and the other was a two-goal loss when they allowed two empty-net goals, so the games have all been close.

Minuses: Chicago has struggled offensively during their losing streak, scoring a total of eight goals. It hasn't helped that Crawford, in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy, is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and has missed the past two games. Backup Anton Forsberg hasn't played poorly, but Chicago has scored three goals in the two games.
The Blackhawks need to get more out of their bottom six. Kane, Toews, DeBrincat, Artem Anisimov and Brandon Saad have provided offense, but not many others up front have. You can't rely on your top two lines to carry you every night.
Lastly, the power-play has been an issue. You'd think with the offensive firepower they have, even if they've had trouble scoring at even strength, they'd be able to get some with the man advantage. Despite having 112 power-play opportunities, the most in the League, they're at at 16.1 percent, which ranks 29th in the NHL.

Capitals

Pluses: Forward Alex Ovechkin leads the League in goals with 20. Some people thought he was on the decline after scoring 33 last season, but he has proven the doubters wrong. This is the 13th straight season he has had at least 20 goals, and with 10 more, it'll be 13 straight with at least 30. He has seven goals in his past six games, and hasn't showed signs of slowing down.
Next is defenseman John Carlsson. I'm not sure where all the offense has come from, but he has 21 points (two goals, 19 assists) in 28 games. He had 37 points (nine goals, 28 assists) last season and his career high is 55 (12 goals, 43 assists) in 2014-15, but he could break that this season. He also has provided stability on a defense which includes several new players, including rookies Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos.
The good news for the Capitals is this game is on home ice, where they are 10-5-0, but 9-2-0 in their past 11 games. They also have goaltender Braden Holtby, who isn't playing at his best but still gives Washington a chance to win every night.

Minuses: The Capitals will be without forward T.J. Oshie, who left a 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Monday with an upper-body injury. Oshie has 10 goals, second on Washington, and 23 points (third). He's a playmaker and will be missed.
Besides Ovechkin and Oshie, no one else on the Capitals has reached double-digits in goals. Center Evgeny Kuznetsov has nine and forward Jakub Vrana has eight. No other Washington player has more than four goals. Carlson has been a bright spot on defense, but his teammates on the back end aren't producing offensively. It also has been an adjustment with Bowey and Djoos. As a result, Washington's defense isn't as good as it has been in past years.
The Capitals haven't played with that same edge we've seen the past two regular seasons, when they won the Presidents' Trophy. Maybe that's a good thing, though, because they cruised through the regular season before losing in the second round each time. If the attention isn't on them and they aren't the favorites come playoff time, maybe they'll advance past the second round.

Three things to watch

1. Will Ovechkin continue his scoring run, and what will the Blackhawks do to try to slow him down?
   2. Similarly, how will the Capitals try to defend against DeBrincat?
   3. Who will fare better in the goaltending matchup between Holtby and Forsberg?