TJ Oshie carries US to shootout win over Russia

The US men’s hockey team defeated Russia in their preliminary matchup on Saturday. The game was decided in the eighth round of a shootout after the two teams played to a 2-2 tie through three periods and one five-minute overtime. TJ Oshie played the hero for the United States.

Oshie, who plays for the St. Louis Blues, took six of the eight shootout attempts for the US. International rules allow the same shooter to keep going once the first round of the shootout (three shooters) ends in a tie. Oshie battled Russia’s Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk and eventually got the best of them. He scored four goals in the shootout.

While there was no medal at stake, it was a phenomenal game that could wind up being a preview of the gold medal game.

GIF via Diehard Sport