T.J. Oshie may be the most popular Blue, but perceptive fans have been a little hesitant to go "all-in" when supporting him.
There is no question that Oshie plays the game hard and with skill, but in the past his numbers and inconsistency restrained him from breaking out as one of the elite stars in the NHL. He was often justly ridiculed for being "too cute" with the puck, providing more flash than productivity.
Oshie is dropping the flash in 11-12, and raising his productivity by shooting more and dumping the puck in, rather than trying to dangle around several defenders.
In simple terms, the kid's growing up.
Many point to Hitchchock's arrival as the turning point, or maybe wake-up point for Oshie. The winger has six goals and 11 assist under Hitchcock and is a plus-5.
Hitchcock, an avid hockey viewer, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch what he remembered about Oshie’s play before he became his coach. “It’s like he was playing weird. I don’t know another way to describe it. He was playing sideways. Whereas he’s a straight-ahead player.”
And of his recent play: “This is kind of what I thought he was supposed to be.”
Oshie agreed about his poor performance early in the season and recent resurrection. “I think I was trying to do too much, getting a little frustrated. I think a couple of times I got maybe short-shifted for making a play I thought was right. But most of all, it’s been a chance for me to relax and regroup,” he told the Post-Dispatch.
Blues fans are happy he decided to relax and regroup, hopefully a sign of his maturing. He is becoming one of the top two-way players in the game, and that is really giving Blues fans something to cheer about.
No comments:
Post a Comment