T.J. Oshie Scores Against Flyers and Former Coach

Former Fighting Sioux All-American T.J. Oshie scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against his former coach's team. Love the expression of Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol.

NHL HOCKEY: T.J.. Oshie Named Star of the Week

Former Fighting Sioux All-American forward T.J. Oshie name one of the three stars of the week.

SECOND STAR – T.J. OSHIE, RW, WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Oshie paced the NHL with five goals and shared the League lead with eight points as the Capitals (24-6-2, 50 points) won all four of their games to move into first place in the overall standings. He opened the week with 2-1—3 in a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Dec. 14. After being held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators Dec. 16, Oshie responded with 2-2—4 – his third career four-point game and first since Jan. 3 at SJS (3-1—4 w/ STL) – in a 5-3 comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning Dec. 18. He finished the week with one goal in a 7-3 triumph over the New York Rangers Dec. 20, the team's second consecutive multi-goal comeback win. The 28-year-old Everett, Wash., native has 13-9—22 in 32 games this season, his first with the Capitals.

T.J. Oshie Blows up Beau Bennett

My buddy is a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and he was unhappy with T.J. Oshie for this hit on Penguins forward Beau Bennett. Some might call it, Sioux on Pioneer abuse. The refs didn't call a penalty on the play.

Obviously, Pens fans aren't going to be very happy with Oshie, who also scored his ninth and 10 goals of the season tonight, leading the Capitals to a 4-1 win.

Here's my question; should the on-ice officials called a penalty on this play. One could make the argument for one.

T.J. Oshie Shootout Goal

Speaking of shootouts, Former Fighting Sioux All-American forward T.J. Oshie is pretty good at the shootout, too.

T.J. Oshie Kisses His Stick

Oshie kisses his stick after scoring the 4th Caps goal, and his 3rd of the season pic.twitter.com/ew9wb8gjSO

— Stephanie (@myregularface) October 21, 2015

Classic T.J. Oshie... After scoring his third goal of the year and the fourth goal for the Capitals, Oshie kisses his stick.

Adam McQuaid vs T.J. Oshie (Video)

Former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie doesn't fight very much, but I think that he held his own against Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid who does do his fair share of fighting. Finally, I am also not sure what McQuaid is upset about, the hit looked good to me.

T.J. Oshie Getting Comfortable in Washington D.C.

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Here's an interesting read about former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie. Looks like he's relieved to be getting a new start in our nations capital.

Alex Prewitt, Washington Post:

(T.J.) Oshie recalled how the Blues, who drafted him 24th overall a decade ago, handled new additions to the locker room, and felt something similar here in Washington. Not long after hitting the ice, Oshie found defenseman Nate Schmidt, a fellow offseason resident of Minnesota, and later shared a laugh with Andre Burakovsky, a potential linemate, after a nifty two-on-one goal.

“You’re nervous enough just having to meet new people,” Oshie said. “You don’t need any awkwardness. I sensed that from the guys here. I think every single guy has come up and said hi to me and introduced himself and the coaches and staff. Everything’s great.”

The trade paired two clubs looking to shake up their roster, and through the deal, Oshie found reason to view his move as a fresh start. The Blues hadn’t advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2011-12, and Oshie never registered more than two points in a single series.
“We had the same outcome every year in St. Louis and it was starting to feel repetitive,” he said. “You didn’t really know what else you could do or what you should improve on, and then once you go to a new team, you want to get out there, you want to impress everyone. I don’t know if you need to be pushed any harder, but if you do, getting traded really gives you that extra push to work harder in the summer and get there and make a difference.”

Oshie Picks a Number

by Redwing77

New Capitol T.J. Oshie has picked a new number:

Thanks for all of the # suggestions! Going with 77. #Caps pic.twitter.com/lh8OZNEaZp

— TJ Oshie (@TJOshie77) July 6, 2015

I've always loved that number. 

T.J. Oshie to Wear Number 77

TJ Oshie is now a Washington Capital

by Redwing77

Today, T.J. Oshie, a former UND standout forward and St. Louis first round draft pick, was traded to the Washington Capitals.

In return, St. Louis receives former Blackhawk Troy Brouwer, former MTU goaltender Phoenix Copley, and a 2016 3rd round pick.

Oshie had a down year last year only recording 55 points (19g-36a), which is down from 2013-14 campaign where he had 60 points (21g-39a).  In other words, Oshie had an ok, but not great year last year.

Troy Brouwer had a "stellar" year where he scored 21g-22a (43 pts) in 82 games.  Phoenix Copley played 2 years at MTU before spending one year between Washington's ECHL and AHL team.  He posted a respectable 17-4-3 record with a 2.17 GAA and a .925 Save% in 26 games with the Hershey Bears.

My thoughts?  St. Louis wanted to make changes at the top of their lineup.  That meant trading Backes, Oshie, or both.  They traded Oshie.  They got meh in return.

This isn't a colossally bad trade (like Minnesota did by trading Nick Leddy for Ben Eager a few years back), but it's trading Washington a first line player (who will probably play on Washington's second line) for a 2nd line/3rd line forward.  The video in the article said "I love this move for Washington."  and "I love this move for Oshie."  What did they say for Brouwer and St. Louis?  "Interesting move for St. Louis."  Yup.

I recognize they wanted to make a change.  But the question is:  Are you making a change to make a difference and improve your team or are you making a change just to make a change (send a message)?  My guess:  This was a trade just to make a change.  St. Louis did not improve one bit from this. 

Winner:  Washington

Oshie named NHL's First Star of the Week

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Former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie was named the NHL's first star of the week. Oshie had one heck of a week last week, including a hat trick against the San Jose Sharks.

FIRST STAR – T.J. OSHIE, RW, ST. LOUIS BLUES
Oshie paced all players with five goals and shared the League lead with seven points to power the Blues (23-13-3, 49 points) to two wins in four starts. He collected one assist in a 3-0 triumph over the Colorado Avalanche Dec. 29. Oshie then found the back of the net in a pair of losses – a 3-2 defeat to the Nashville Predators Dec. 30 and a 4-3 decision to the Anaheim Ducks Jan. 2. He capped the week by registering his second career hat trick (also March 27, 2014 vs. MIN) and second career four-point performance (also Nov. 14, 2013 vs. COL: 0-4—4), notching 3-1—4 in a 7-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks Jan. 3. He also potted his 19th career game-winning marker (third this season) and eclipsed 100 NHL goals (101-174—275 in 402 GP) in that contest. The 28-year-old Everett, Wash., native has compiled 10-10—20 in 31 outings this season, including 5-3—8 during a five-game point streak. (NHL.COM)

Are The Boston Bruins shooting for T.J. Oshie?

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If you believe the rumors on the Internet, the Boston Bruins attempting to trade for T.J. Oshie. As a Boston Bruins fan, I can only hope this rumor is true. The Boston Bruins are struggling offensively and a player like Oshie would give the listless Boston Bruins a nice shot in the arm.

Of course this trade almost seems impossible due to the fact that Bruins salary cap doesn't have any available space. Right now, the Bruins have $912,000.00 in cap space. To acquire Oshie, the Bruins would have to give up some expensive pieces to the Blues.

Greg Wyshynski, Puck Daddy -- The Blues have to look to the future, and Oshie might not be a part of it.

So they’re listening to offers, and Elliotte Friedman says a lot of interest is trickling down from the Boston Bruins.

On Brady and Walker on Friday morning, Friedman said the Bruins have “talked a lot” with the Blues. “They’ve been linked to T.J. Oshie, and the issue there is that he’s got more term,” he said.

And that’s the trick for the Bruins: Their cap situation is even more precarious. They too have over $12 million in space for next season, but only 14 players under contract. Adam McQuaid (UFA), Torey Krug (RFA), Matt Bartkowski (UFA) and Dougie Hamilton (RFA) are all up; so is Reilly Smith (RFA).

(Please recall this cap situation in 2015 was the reason they couldn’t give Jarome Iginla a 2-year deal.)

One assumes any deal for Oshie would be salary for salary. Loui Eriksson, struggling to find his footing in Boston, is signed through 2016 and makes $4.25 million. One-for-one?

With the season approaching the halfway mark, there are going to be teams that are looking to make trade to solidify their lineups for the stretch run. The Boston Bruins are looking for a forward to play with David Krecji and Milan Lucic. Oshie would probably fit that spot nicely.

Mats Zuccarello vs T.J. Oshie

According to Hockey Fights, Former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie has been in three NHL fights. In his fight with Mats Zuccarello, Oshie held his own.

Should the Blues Trade T.J. Oshie?

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One of my fellow writers from the Hockey Writers has suggested that the Blues trade former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie, while his stock is high. I would say no, unless it's going to be to the Wild or Bruins, but that's just me...

David Lipscomb, The Hockey Writers -- As the Blues have repeatedly shown in playoffs past, their failure to score the big goal and compensate for lineup holes was never more evident than in the 2013 playoffs versus the Chicago Blackhawks. If only the shootout was a factor in the postseason, Oshie might have had a bigger impact. However, there are teams (New Jersey Devils, I’m looking at you) that couldn’t crack the final eight due to shootout ineptitude, squandering valuable loser points. For them, the idea of gaining an asset like Oshie would help mitigate the PR and ticket sale backlash associated with missing the playoffs, while helping them potentially gain entry into a tournament where — especially in the East — almost anyone has a chance at a Finals run.

By now many Blues fans have already clicked off the page, enraged at the thought of selling off the youthful face of the franchise and breaking the hearts of South St. Louis girls everywhere. But consider this for a moment: would two solid forwards — picking on the Devils once again — Henrique and perhaps a veteran like Danius Zubrus — not help this team begin to overcome their postseason woes? Does anyone think Oshie’s stock and perception will ever be higher than it is now? What do you think the Devils would pay to make the playoffs and allow the chips to fall where they may? After coming within two wins of the Cup in 2012, they may think they’re on the precipice of being a real postseason threat in the East. Given the seemingly random nature of the teams that emerge from the East, they may be right.

Vote for T.J. Oshie NHL Cover Vote NHL 2015

Don't forget to vote for T.J. Oshie.  #NHL15OSHIE

(Video) T.J. Oshie scores from his knees

Check out this goal from St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie, he scores falling forward. Oshie's goal tied the score at 1-1. Check out the huge check that Ryan Reeves puts on Jonathan Toews prior to the goal.

T.J. Oshie is questionable for game two

Former UND forward T.J. Oshie is questionable for game two between the St. Louis Blue and the Chicago Blackhawks.

NHL.COM -- The Blues held an optional skate Friday afternoon inside St. Louis Outlet Mall. Ten skaters took the ice, two were injured forwards T.J. Oshie (upper body) and Patrik Berglund (upper body).

For Oshie, it was another day on the ice gearing himself up for a return to the lineup; he's questionable for Saturday. Berglund skated with teammates for the first time Friday; he's more inclined to miss the game Saturday. Each missed Game 1.

"I didn't see them," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Until someone taps me on the shoulder and says he's a game player, he's out. Our lineup's going to be fluid every day. Every day it's going to be fluid. I told you guys before, we're going to have everybody playing in this series at some period of time, so that obviously means by Game 5, we expect everybody to be ready to go and hopefully nobody gets injured. Touch wood, but that's our expectations."

Blues captain David Backes said a healthy Oshie is good for the team at any point.

"He's a horse for us, an Energizer bunny that never stops," Backes said. "You talk about fatigue, he's a guy that would have a few days of rest [going] into a series which has a lot guys that have played some big minutes in the last 36 hours. So it'll be hopefully a jolt to the arm if he's in. If not, we've proven that we can win if he's not in the lineup. We'll have to have the same sort of performance again

NHL & College Hockey: Monday Links

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun interview executive director of the NHL Players' Association. There’s some interesting things in this interview that are worth looking at. (Click to read)

LeBrun: All 700-plus NHL players are not here in the Olympics. What's always intrigued me is the idea of how rank-and-file players who never get to play in the Olympics really feel about shutting down the game for the Olympics and whether their input is heeded.

Fehr: We do, we do [ask them]. It's no secret, there are three things that go on: There are players who play; there are players who, even if they're not playing, hope that in the future they will, or players who did in the past and think it's a good opportunity for current ones to have. The second thing is, guys like the time off; they like to see their families; they like to do that. And the third thing is, there's at least the opportunity for some nagging injuries to heal. That's not so bad. But to answer your question more directly, as far as the players' association is concerned, this decision will be made by all 720 to 750 players -- it's not made by a small group.

Apparently, David Backes and T.J. Oshie have adopted some stray dogs from Russia.

More on the Niklas Bäckström doping case... ESPN: Backstrom victim of testing debacle

Scott Burnside, ESPN.COM – He's an innocent victim of circumstances," added Dr. Mark Aubry, the IIHF's chief medical officer. "There is no doping in this instance."

Well, technically it is doping, though, isn't it? The acceptable level for the substance pseudoephedrine in an athlete's body for in-competition testing is 150 micrograms per milliliter, and officials said Sunday that Backstrom's level was around 190. But there is a precedent for players being allowed a test again if that threshold is breached

Check out this gamer from the new beat writer for the UMD Bulldogs Rick Weegman. (click to view)

The trophy, awarded to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference regular-season champion, is making a tour of all the conference home sites.

After North Dakota’s 6-2 victory over Minnesota Duluth tonight, it’s undoubtedly the last time that the trophy will show up in Duluth this season.

It may find an out-of-season home in Grand Forks, N.D., however.

According to Michael Russo, Wild winger Jason Zucker will miss the upcoming road trip to Edmonton and Vancouver.

Next time you're drinking a Tim Horton's coffee, think of this article by Andrew Forbes from the Hockey Writers: A Common Ground: Where Hockey Meets Coffee

NHL won't adopt T.J. Oshie Rule

Original NHL logo, used until 2005. A version of the logo features it in the shape of a hockey puck. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy, don't count on the NHL adopting the T.J. Oshie Rule. I would say that I like this... It works great for International play.

Puck Daddy -- “Obviously, the one feature that’s different in international competition and the National Hockey League is the ability to use the same shooter in a game-winning shots competition,” said deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Tuesday, before the qualification round of the Sochi Olympic tournament.

“We haven’t even talked about that with our general managers at any point and time, but I would very surprised if the general managers would ever be supportive of that type of concept. It’s tough enough that they don’t like the shootout as it is.”

One of the reasons why the GMs would find the concept repellant: The idea that “shootout specialists” might need to be a consideration on their rosters. Which would be great news for the Linus Omarks of the world, but not something Daly sees the League’s team executives desiring all that much.

Angry Russians level their guns at USA referee

Good stuff here. Russian star Alex Ovechkin accused American goaltender Jonathan Quick of dislodging the net.

Greg Heakes, Sochi — Russia blasted American referee Brad Meier Saturday for disallowing a goal that would have given them a lead late in their Olympic Games hockey clash they eventually lost to the USA in a shootout.

"The referee made a mistake," said Russian coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov following the Russians 3-2 loss to the Americans in a preliminary round contest.

"Of course, it would have been more effective to have a different judge."

T.J. Oshie scored four times in the shootout after a roller-coaster contest in front of a raucous crowd of 11,678 at the Bolshoi Ice Dome.

Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin insisted the goal should have counted and said that USA goaltender Jonathan Quick deserved a penalty for intentionally dislodging it.

"It was definitely a goal. The goalie touched the net so that the net moved," Ovechkin said. "The referee had to see it. He should have given him two minutes."

With the score tied 2-2, the Russians appeared to have scored the go-ahead goal with just under five minutes left in the third on a shot from the point by Fyodor Tyutin.