Oshie

[siouxnami]

I know that there are some other threads that are discussing Oshie, but since there is alot to say I thought that a new thread was justified.

Saturday I left Rochester at 6 a.m. to attend a class in the cities at 8. I had tickets to the Sioux - St. Cloud game that night so I decided to go see the Class A championship game. What a great game. I have not seen a recorded version of the game so this is mearly what I saw without zooms or replay.

Oshie kind of remids me of a young Bucks in that he is clearly incredalbly talented and yet still very raw. At times his skating, while not bad, looked awkward. I think that he will really benefit from a year in the USHL where he can play aginst some better players. If the bucks example holds true he will improve remarkably during his time at UND.

I believe that Oshie only had 2 points in the game, but that doesn't really explain his true impact. The goal from the point that was credited to Hardwick only happened because Oshie went created a brilliant screen. I went so far as to stick out his arm to hide the puck as it came in on net. The keeper had no chance of seeing it. He also created a number of opportunities by skating around and through a pretty good TG defense. He is a brilliant passer and playmaker who will be helped by having some better players around him. I would expect him to have far more assists than goals in the WCHA. Oshie, seemed to like to cherry pick some, however he got back to reign in a couple of odd man rushes.

What impressed me the most was that when the game got tight and the pressure was on he just kept getting better. In OT he made a couple of great spin moves to create opportunites. He looked like a kid playing a pickup game on a frozen pond. The Championship winning goal was one of the prettiest goals I've ever seen. Warroad created pressure and got a shot on the net and with the puck laying in front of the crease, Oshie dove to the puck and looked like he would attempt to poke it past the keeper, but he didn't. With the defense and keeper fixated on Oshie diving at the puck, he instead played it across the goal mouth to Marvin who buried it in the back of an open net. One of the prettiest goals, I've seen anywhere, let alone in OT of a championship game. The kid has amazing vision, he sees everything.

Oshie the Sioux will be fun to watch, though that may not be untill 2006.

[siouxtatoo42]

........ Oshie dove to the puck and looked like he would attempt to poke it past the keeper, but he didn't.  With the defense and keeper fixated on Oshie diving at the puck, he instead played it across the goal mouth to Marvin who buried it in the back of an open net.    One of the prettiest goals, I've seen anywhere, let alone in OT of a championship game.  The kid has amazing vision, he sees everything.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

..off the faceoff, oshie pushed the puck through the other centers legs, walked around him, and beat the diving goalie to the puck...........(insert in front of the rest of your post and it's pretty accurate)

[sagard]

This brings up one of my pet peaves. Let's say he is a carbon copy of Bochenski. Wouldn't it be better bringing him in next year knowing he may not contribute that much until Feb/March vs. only having him for three years?

[UMDDogz]

This brings up one of my pet peaves.  Let's say he is a carbon copy of Bochenski.  Wouldn't it be better bringing him in next year knowing he may not contribute that much until Feb/March vs. only having him for three years?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Three years if you're lucky these days...

[Slap Shot]

I didn't get to see any of Oshie this year, but he clearly stuck out in my mind last year and as someone else mentioned I was impressed with his vision. I told myself it would have been nice to the Gophers land him. If he's progressed as expected the Sioux have a great one (not to mention Vandevelde). The only thing I don't really remember about Oshie was his size.

[siouxnami]

This brings up one of my pet peaves.  Let's say he is a carbon copy of Bochenski.  Wouldn't it be better bringing him in next year knowing he may not contribute that much until Feb/March vs. only having him for three years?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think that Oshie has the offensive maturity that Bochenski did at that age. I'm not even sure that Bochenski is a good comparison, other that the skating which I found to look awkward.

[siouxnami]

..off the faceoff, oshie pushed the puck through the other centers legs, walked around him, and beat the diving goalie to the puck...........(insert in front of the rest of your post and it's pretty accurate)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It would be great if someone could post a link to a video clip of the goal.

[crosby_87]

How exciting would it be if next year we had a Toews/Zajac(or stafford)/Murray line. The talent on that line would remind me of a certain line in 2001 that led the nation by a long ways in total points. Oshie looks to be a solid young recruit with great vision, and Vandevelde had a tremendous state tournament. I'm confident also in our young defense recruits. Chorney should be a solid addition and Jones is one of the top recruits in the country. They also have Lee coming who looks to be a great player and Radke coming back basically as a freshman. Next year UND should have, if nothing else, a very exciting team to watch as the pace should be fast and furious. Hoping to do good in the playoffs this year and maybe if they peak at the right time, watch them take home title #8

[redwing77]

How exciting would it be if next year we had a Toews/Zajac(or stafford)/Murray line. The talent on that line would remind me of a certain line in 2001 that led the nation by a long ways in total points. Oshie looks to be a solid young recruit with great vision, and Vandevelde had a tremendous state tournament. I'm confident also in our young defense recruits. Chorney should be a solid addition and Jones is one of the top recruits in the country. They also have Lee coming who looks to be a great player and Radke coming back basically as a freshman. Next year UND should have, if nothing else, a very exciting team to watch as the pace should be fast and furious. Hoping to do good in the playoffs this year and maybe if they peak at the right time, watch them take home title #8

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, although as long as Stafford stays, I don't anticipate the Spirko-Stafford-Zajac line to be broken up.

What I do anticipate is a Toews-Murray-Porter line. I think with a setup man like Toews can be, Murray's scoring will explode. Also, bring in Porter, who can beat guys to the puck and crash the net with the best of them, and you've got a pretty good offensive unit.

[PCM]

I agree, although as long as Stafford stays, I don't anticipate the Spirko-Stafford-Zajac line to be broken up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Based on the line combos I heard Hennessy give on the radio Saturday, I think it already has been.

[DMT]

Based on the line combos I heard Hennessy give on the radio Saturday, I think it already has been.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Correct.

The first line was Murray-Zajac-Stafford and the second was Spirko-Genoway-McMahon.

[Goon]

This brings up one of my pet peaves.  Let's say he is a carbon copy of Bochenski.  Wouldn't it be better bringing him in next year knowing he may not contribute that much until Feb/March vs. only having him for three years?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which is funny, Kessel is projected of maybe being around 1-2 years.

[siouxtatoo42]

[sagard]

[Goon]

[DLW4GOPHERS]

[Goon]

[jk]

I'm not at all against players leaving early.  I just wonder why sometimes guys like Bochenski and Sejna are not brought in to a college program at 18.  Maybe those two were late bloomers, but Sejna and put up forty goals in the USHL and no college team picked him up and he returned to put up another forty in the USHL.

It's a terrific question, and Senja is a great example. Maybe the question in the case of someone like Oshie is how much ice time he would get. If the coaches think he might be on the bench for a lot of next year, then why not have him playing first line minutes and PP in the USHL?

Right now UND has 13 forwards, with 5 exhausting their eligibility and 5 coming in, leaving them with a projected 13 for next year. That's a little thin, IMO. I wonder if Oshie might be the back-up plan next year in case either Kaip's concussion problems continue to keep him out (which is sad on another level entirely) or Stafford moves on to the AHL.

Looking at the issue more currently, when both Bucks and Parise left, UND could have bolstered their roster by adding a 14th forward, Ryan Duncan. We'll see next year if he is able to score in college, but on a scoring-challenged team short of forwards, the BCHL's leading goal scorer might have helped this year.

[siouxnami]

It's a terrific question, and Senja is a great example. Maybe the question in the case of someone like Oshie is how much ice time he would get. If the coaches think he might be on the bench for a lot of next year, then why not have him playing first line minutes and PP in the USHL?

Right now UND has 13 forwards, with 5 exhausting their eligibility and 5 coming in, leaving them with a projected 13 for next year. That's a little thin, IMO. I wonder if Oshie might be the back-up plan next year in case either Kaip's concussion problems continue to keep him out (which is sad on another level entirely) or Stafford moves on to the AHL.

Looking at the issue more currently, when both Bucks and Parise left, UND could have bolstered their roster by adding a 14th forward, Ryan Duncan. We'll see next year if he is able to score in college, but on a scoring-challenged team short of forwards, the BCHL's leading goal scorer might have helped this year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True, but Sparky was brought in late. I felt that he took the roster spot of Parise. Bochenski left so late it would have been difficult to get another player on board fast enough.

[jk]

I guess that is my point. Duncan was already committed for 2005, he had graduated from high school, and he was going to play a post-secondary year of junior hockey in the BCHL. I assume he was available to arrive in September 2004 if the coaches wanted him to. It is very possible that the coaches thought he was just not strong enough to make an impact in the WCHA, so he was better off maturing physically in a junior league. I don't mean to second guess the coaches on this one, it just fits the topic of the value of sending kids to juniors when they perhaps could help.

[I Ranger]

Anyone know why Duncan is playing in the Canadian Junior league rather than the USHL. I was also wondering if anyone knows how the USHL and the BCHL or any other Canadian league compare because Duncan and Watkins and Kozek sure are putting up huge numbers and was wondering if the league is not nearly as talented as the USHL.

[DMT]

Anyone know why Duncan is playing in the Canadian Junior league rather than the USHL. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He is Canadian and Andy Murray owns the Silverbacks. That would be my guess anyway.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

[jloos]

I think the level of play is similar to the USHL, plus there are no Green Bay to Lincoln or Indianapolis to Wichita bus rides . I believe most of the teams in the BCHL are fairly close to each other, plus the scenery is a little nicer than the midwest.

[tnt]

Personally I would rather keep guys like Duncan in a developmental league for a year because you are trading a potential average first year into a better than average or very good first year. That is why they redshirt in football and basketball. I know it isn't as relevant in hockey, but I don't think Duncan would have helped this year to the point where it will offset what he will do in the future years here with that year of maturity. I agree with Sagard that it doesn't make sense for the likes of Zajac, but for players that will most likely be here four years, if they will agree to play a year or two of juniors, I think it helps the program in the long run.