David Backes is the second leading scorer on Team USA. He leads all Blues’ players in points during the Olympics.
As the men’s hockey tournament heads into the semifinals, a majority of the St. Louis Blues selected to represent their home countries still have a shot at a Gold Medal and most will likely take home some type of hardware by the end of the weekend. So how are the Blues doing at this point? Here’s a quick summary.
Victor Tarasenko–Russia. The Blues 22 year old star forward was relatively quiet for the host country, netting just one assist in a 4-0 win over Norway. The 22 year old had just five shots on goal the whole tournament.
Jaroslav Halak-Slovakia. The Blues top goaltender had the most disappointing showing of any Blues player. Halak was tagged for five goals on 25 shots during his team’s opening 7-2 loss to Team USA. He then allowed three goals in his second start, a loss to Slovenia. His save percentage was just .857 and he never saw the ice after the first two games.
Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo-Canada. Â The pair have logged a lot of minutes on the blue line for the Canadians, but points wise, have only generated one assist between the two of them. That came from Pietrangelo. Â Canada has been stingy on defense, allowing just three goals in four games.
Patrik Berglund and Alex Steen–Sweden. Â The Swedes will be facing Finland in a semifinal game with the winner advancing to the Gold Medal game. Fowards Berglund and Steen have contributed to the top team in the tournament at this point. Berglund has two goals and one assist, while Steen has a goal and two assists.
David Backes, T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk–USA. Three Blues players are on Team USA. You may have forgotten about defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. He’s been reliable on defense for the Americans and added an assist in the blowout win over Slovakia. In addition to his four shootout goals, T.J. Oshie has added a goal and three assists and has been on a line that has provided great forechecking and a lot of energy. David Backes continues his gritty style of play, many times taking on the opposition’s top players. Backes has managed three goals and an assist. His three goals are second only to Phil Kessel.
