2014 Year in Review: February Edition

TJ Oshie and the Americans take over Sochi

Jan 7, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; St. Louis Blues forward T.J Oshie (74) skates against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

The Olympics are always a time when Americans can gather around and rally to support the same team. In the past Winter Olympics, we’ve seen most Americans who don’t pay attention to sports like snowboarding, skiing, and hockey, glued to their seats watching the Americans every move. In 2010 the US Hockey team captured a nation by almost doing the impossible by upsetting the Canadian National Hockey Team in the gold medal game (which by the way was held in Vancouver, Canada). Now in 2014 the Americans were looking to do the same as they were in the same bracket as the Russians. It was on February 15th when the Americans and Russians faced off against one another that Blues forward T.J Oshie shined brightest. After ending regulation and overtime in a 2-2 tie the two nations were faced with a shootout, and while many players may have faltered under the pressure, TJ Oshie managed to beat Russian goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for the fourth time in the shootout round to clinch a victory for the Americans. The performance that Oshie gave in that game catapulted him into an overnight sensation back in the States, and while the Americans may have faltered later in the tournament many fans will always remember the morning of February 15th and the performance that TJ Oshie gave.