Will T.J. Oshie Step Up In Game Two?

In an attempt to raise yet more money for the St. Louis chapter of the March Of Dimes, T.J. Oshie is revisiting his Oshie O’s campaign according to a press release by PLB Sports, the company Oshie partnered with to create and market his cereal.

Next: Oshie O's Can't Skate But Taste Pretty Good

While we’re certain PLB Sports, based in Pittsburgh, is rooting for the Penguins to overtake the Rangers, they’re not overlooking Blues fans: three fans will win pucks signed by Oshie.

But Blues fans will not be satisfied by a mere signed puck. They demand goals.

Thursday’s Game One against the Minnesota Wild was a shitshow, if you’ll pardon my language. I can’t think of another way to describe it. There was about a good 15 minutes of play that came out of the St. Louis Blues, but 15 out of 60 is not a winning percentage, no matter how you slice it.

And while promotions to help pregnant people and their infants are all well and good, the focus right now is on how the Blues do in the playoffs. Will they flame out, as so many fans who have been let down by their team’s postseason performance before are predicting? Will they push through and make the second, or third round, or, holy cow, the Finals?

For them to do so, we’re going to have to see the team’s leadership step up. And while Oshie may not wear the C and may be terrifically awkward on-camera, he is an important part of the St. Louis dynamic in the room and on the ice. As part of the first line he leads the charge most nights and has lent his “chip some pucks in and hit some guys” style to a number of wins in the regular season.

Why is the postseason any different?

Oshie had a wonderful middle of the season – from December to March 1st he scored the majority of his 55 points, scoring 12 of his 19 goals and 15 of his total assists to earn 27 points. He cooled down over the rest of March, adding only one goal, but kept the heat up on his assists to add another four points to his total. (All statistics from war-on-ice)

He has faded from view over the past two months, when earlier this season Oshie was full of vim and vigor, making first star of the night repeatedly and forcing critics to eat their words when they called for him to be traded over the summer.

Mar 12, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing T.J. Oshie (74) scores the game winning goal during the shoot out at Scottrade Center. The St. Louis Blues defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Where has that player gone?

It’s normal for a player to have a more productive section of his or her season. There are all sorts of external factors but to expect someone to be at the top of their game for the 82 games of the NHL’s regular season is close to absurdity — or, at least, something we would only expect from a Gretzky or a Crosby. But the playoffs is the time to turn the heat back up: score some goals, check some guys and lead the team.

It’s exactly the wrong time to disappear on the ice.

If T.J. Oshie can’t find that motivation again, not only will this summer be a time of pressure for him but the Blues will be looking at one more early start to their summer.

Next: Blues Lose Game One To Wild

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