April 9, 2008
Focused on Oshie
by Virg Foss/Staff Writer
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — North Dakota junior center T.J. Oshie just has that look about him — one that suggests he comes equipped with eyes in the back of his head.
Oshie's uncanny ability to make startling no-look passes to set up teammates for big goals may be on display the last time in a Fighting Sioux uniform when UND opens play Thursday in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals in Denver against Boston College.
There's a strong chance that Oshie will sign an NHL contract with the St. Louis Blues once the Frozen Four ends. If he does, he'll give up his final season of college hockey eligibility to play for nearly a million a year for the team that made him a first-round draft pick (24th player chosen overall) in 2005.
His amazing playmaking talents were on full display in the NCAA Midwest Regional last week in Madison, Wis.
In consecutive games, he made a no-look behind-the back pass — first, to set up Ryan Duncan's open-net goal in a 5-1 win over Princeton, and then a no-look drop pass to Duncan for a game-tying goal in the third period in a 3-2 overtime win over Wisconsin in the title game.
Just par for the course with Oshie, it seems.
"That's just something great players have," Duncan said of Oshie's no-look passes. "It's a natural gift. I don't know if you can really teach it. That's what they say about the great players in the NHL, that they think 2-3 plays ahead. When you play with T.J., he finds that open spot an makes that unbelievable play."
Oshie's play to set up Duncan's goal against Wisconsin that tied the game at 2-2 was breathtaking.
He carried the puck from his own zone at full speed, first leaving a Badger forechecker frozen at the Sioux blue line with a head fake, never breaking stride as he sped past him.
The TV commentator said it was a "dangerous play." For the average player, maybe. For Oshie? Not so much.
Oshie continued down left wing untouched and sped into the Wisconsin zone.
He cut to his right to draw the defenseman to him, then left a no-look drop pass for Duncan to rifle off the goal post and in for the second of two Sioux goals in 47 seconds in the startling third period rally.
"He can see plays others don't see on the ice," Duncan said. "I can't remember, I might have yelled at him. Or just skating up ice, he can hear you or sense you in some way. He just knew I'd be in that area, and put the pass right on the tape."
Duncan admits he's like the fans at times, amazed at what his linemate does on the ice.
"It's unbelievable," Duncan said. "He's got all the skills that the greatest players in the world have. There's a reason why he's an NHL first-round pick. We've seen it throughout his career — he makes other players look silly at times. He's fun to watch, and he's fun to play with."
No wonder, then, that Oshie leads the Fighting Sioux in goals (18), assists (25), points (43), power-play goals (7) and game-winning goals (5).
There was a report that when Oshie attended the NHL combine in 2005 prior to the draft and went through a battery of exams, he scored off the chart in a test for peripheral vision.
Oshie's not sure of that.
"I don't remember too much of that," he said. "The one they said I was good at was hand-eye coordination, but I never really saw the scores."
On his play against Princeton to set up Duncan's third goal of the game, Oshie stripped a Princeton player of the puck in neutral ice, then whipped the puck behind his back to find Duncan in open space for an empty-net goal in the closing minutes.
"It all comes from realizing what's going to happen before it does," Oshie said.
And in his case, then being able to place passes into spaces he never appears to even be looking at.
"I saw Duncan coming even before I got the puck," Oshie said of the Princeton goal. "So I knew where he was going to be. I just figured I'd throw it into an area and let him skate into it."
Oshie said there's a great chemistry between Duncan and himself from the two of them being linemates the bulk of their college careers.
"I know where he's at on the ice most of the time," Oshie said.
On the goal against Wisconsin, Oshie said he first spotted Duncan near the red line as the two crossed lanes. On television, it didn't look like Oshie ever looked at Duncan.
Not so.
"I knew where he was when I made that drop pass," Oshie said. "I saw him out of the corner of my eye. That's just a play we run every day (in practice)."
To run it well in practice is one thing. To execute it on the big stage of a NCAA regional championship game when your team is behind is another matter.
Yet it's a byproduct of two great players — Duncan was the 2007 Hobey Baker winner, Oshie a 2008 finalist — working together at an elite level.
People talk at length about Oshie's strength on the puck and his ability to stickhandle through the heaviest of traffic. Breaking down how his vision plays into it is a bit more difficult to quantify — even for Oshie.
"I think it's all just recognizing what's going to happen before it does," Oshie said.
Or, as Duncan said of Oshie, it's what great players do.
This is the most complete team
I have seen in about 3 years. They are
very deep and very dangerous. Oshie has
been my favorite player since he was
a freshman. I saw things he did his first year and told my buddy Jerry "That kid is going to be a record breaker." And when he made a pact to come back to UND this year and not sign w/ St Louis just yet...I thought..
THIS IS THE YEAR! GO SIOUX!
Apr 9 2008, 10:15 pm by BJ Wahpeton, ND
It will suck to see TJ go early. But it will be fun to watch him in the NHL. You can see the pasion he has for the game every stride, every hit and every shot he takes. Hopefully the pact that was made will be the talk of the media after the SIOUX bring home the hardware.
Apr 10 2008, 4:54 am by hockey fan nd
as I've said in the past he is the BEST college hockey player period.
Apr 10 2008, 9:06 am by SARGE, MN
Yeah, what SARGE said. -- Thanks, TJ, for all you've given to Sioux hockey, and I'll enjoy watching you in the NHL.
Apr 10 2008, 11:46 am by Siouxfan, Duluth
How quick everyone forgets how great Toews was for UND and he was a year younger than Oshie age wise. I love watching Oshie play, but Toews was at another level above Oshie.
Apr 10 2008, 3:41 pm by Jimmy Dallas
T.J. Oshie is a complete player and will be missed after this season is over.
Duh jimmy Towes was a great college player and is now doing great in the NHL.
Apr 10 2008, 4:36 pm by ND
I'm not saying he isn't a complete player duh.
Toews was the total package.
"he (Oshie) is the best college player period" Really? I disagree Oshie played on the same line last year with a better player.
Apr 10 2008, 4:44 pm by Jimmy Dallas
Did Oshie play against BC? I don't remember seeing him do anything. I think Mr.Gerbe put to rest any talk about Oshie getting screwed in the Hobey voting. Thanks Nate!
Apr 10 2008, 9:56 pm by JM, Minneapolis
Wow, that was an amazing performance by my favorite college hockey team. The GF Herald called this the worst NCAA tourney loss UND has ever had, impossible to disagree. This should put to rest, as did the 2006 FF game vs. BC for Parise, the insane argument that Lamoureux is the best UND goalie ever too. Guys....Goehring won a big game!!!! Most intramurial goaltenders would have fared as well last night.
Apr 11 2008, 11:00 am by Jimmy Dallas
