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| Photo By: TSNPhotography |
T.J. Oshie has really "turned it on" the past 6 games.
Blues forward T.J Oshie is a fan favorite, due to his relentless pursuit of the puck, energetic style of play, and his spectacular highlight goals, but one thing we have yet to see out of Oshie is a season in which he can consistently score points.
Blues forward T.J Oshie is a fan favorite, due to his relentless pursuit of the puck, energetic style of play, and his spectacular highlight goals, but one thing we have yet to see out of Oshie is a season in which he can consistently score points.
That is exactly what "Osh" has done in the past 6 games under Hitchcock. No matter what line Oshie has been on or who he's playing against, he is finding way to get in the scoring areas and put pucks in the back of the net.
Oshie has 3 goals, 2 assists, and is plus 5 since Hitchcock has taken over.
I think it’s fair to say that Oshie has been a huge part of the Blues 4-0-2 record and seems to find his way onto the score sheet every night.
Oshie has picked up his game lately after a slow start to the season, but what was the reason for his less than impressive start??
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| Photo By: TSNPhotography |
There could be many reasons for it, but it’s my belief that Oshie was playing "conservatively" at the beginning of the season due to his ankle injury that occurred last season.
Oshie is a player that plays with an incredible forecheck, and often takes some hard hits while doing what he does best, dangling the puck. Doing this puts him in danger of being injured and obviously he doesnt want that. His reluctance to play his style of play to avoid injury could be a factor in his slow start.
Another suspicion I have, is his dislike of Payne. I highly doubt that T.J. Oshie hated Payne, but I have a feeling there was a little distance between the two. Oshie was benched earlier in the season for not "getting pucks in deep" and I don’t think that exactly "helped" their relationship.
Oshie has yet to have a 50+ pt. season and after signing a 1 year contract extension, he knows he will have to pick up his play if he wants to remain a Blue next year.
Nevertheless. Oshie seems to be turning his game around, and this just gives fans another reason to be excited, as the Blues now find themselves sitting in close proximity to a playoff spot in the standings 19 games into the season.
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