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ST. LOUIS -- The secret is out on T.J. Oshie, who showed the world at the Sochi Olympics hes perfected the art of the shootout. Hes among nine Olympians whove rejoined a top contender that doesnt overly rely on razzle-dazzle. The St. Louis Blues are in prime position for the NHL stretch drive. They lack star power, with no one among the top 25 scorers, but are second overall in the Western Conference and atop the Central Division entering the re-start Wednesday at Vancouver. "Weve played awfully well. Weve been really resilient all year, weve responded to challenges all year," coach Ken Hitchcock said before the break. "But its going to really get dialed up when we get back and our players recognize that. "I think some guys are really looking forward to it." So far, theyve done the franchise proud. The next few months, theyll be working on solidifying their position and proving they belong against other powers in the conference. Theyre 3-0 against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, but 1-2 against the Kings, 0-3 against the Sharks and 0-2 against the Ducks. The Sharks have outscored them 16-7, the Ducks 8-4. "I told the players when we come back in March and April, its for them," Hitchcock said. "They have to really grab it coming back." The blueprint for success is a defence thats allowed the second-fewest goals. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have combined for seven shutouts aided by strong support and willing shot blockers throughout the defensive rotation. Oshie and Alexander Steen are tied for the team scoring lead at 46 points, Steens total coming in 46 games due to a lengthy concussion-related absence. Theres plenty of depth with six players scoring at least 14 goals and Alex Pietrangelo is the first defenceman in franchise history and first in the NHL since Dion Phaneuf (2005-08) to record 40 or more points in each of his first three seasons. Theyve been dominant without much of a power play lately, entering the break in an 0-for-20 skid that included numerous failures with the two-man advantage. The Blues must regain their stride quickly after the break with 12 games in 22 days and never more than one day of rest. Theyve played the fewest games in the Western Conference and have three games in hand on the Ducks, first overall, and Blackhawks, who like St. Louis have 84 points. "Its really going to be like coming out of the lockout where everybody is full-tilt and every point means something down the stretch," defenceman Barret Jackman said. "Its going to be about the mental focus coming back and being the team that doesnt crack in those one-goal games." The Blues got a taste of the pressure going to overtime the last four games prior to the Olympics. They won three of them, with Oshie providing a preview of his Sochi show with four shootout goals to drive the United States past Russia in a preliminary round game. Stateside, Oshie scored in overtime to beat the Bruins, scored in the shootout to help beat the Jets and had a goal and assist against the Senators and then scored again in the shootout in a 5-4 loss. "We came through some injuries, sickness, like a lot of teams have gone through," Jackman said. "But were still one of the top teams in the league and thats a pretty good feeling." Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! .com) - Brad Stuart has yet to play a regular-season game for the Colorado Avalanche, but that didnt deter the club from signing the veteran defenseman to a two-year contract extension on Monday. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . Plata blasted a rising shot to the upper left corner for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. He got the kick after referee Allen Chapman ruled Chris Tierney fouled John Stertzer in the penalty area. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку!. The 27-year-old hit .209 in 86 at-bats last year after missing the 2010 season following surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . He scored two highlight-reel goals in a three-minute span -- the second on a sideways bicycle kick in the 78th minute -- to give the Whitecaps a 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers before a crowd of 20,303 at B. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . Ilonen birdied five of his closing seven holes in superb scoring conditions to end the day with a two-shot lead on the Fota Island course. Ilonen had just 26 putts on the occasion of his 300th European Tour event.Sean Fitzpatrick says the All Blacks will survive the loss of big players thanks to development driven by Steve Hansen. New Zealand host Wales in a three-Test series starting on Saturday, with a host of familiar faces named in Hansens matchday 23.With the international retirement of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, and Maa Nonu among others last year, there was a line of thought that the All Blacks would be ripe for the taking in 2016, but the players who have replaced them have a wealth of international experience already. New Zealand certainly have plenty of skill at their disposal, but former All Black Fitzpatrick says its the management of the players development that has been key as they build on back-to-back World Cup titles, as he singled out coach Hansen for praise.Its amazing how quickly New Zealand move on, said Fitzpatrick. The likes of Aaron Cruden, Malakai Fekitoa, Sam Cane and Kieran Read as captain all come into the fold and they bring with them new skills as well as Test experience.The fact that they have had some exposure at the top level already is a reflection on the work that Steve Hansen and his coaching staff have done to develop this team. Once again you have to give credit to Hansen, who identified his capabilities a number of years ago and gave him senior leadership roles within the squad. Sean Fitzpatrick on Kieran Read With the exception of Seta Tamanivalu, most of those players have been in or around the All Black team for some time.It is a team of form players who look like they will kick on quite comfortably from the World Cup.McCaw was not just one of the best flankers in world rugby when he retired, but also arguably one of the greatest captains of the game.Though Read will not have that experience to lean on this weekend, Fitzpatrick does not think the No 8 will have to adapt to the role as captain of the best side in the world.I think he will want to put his stamp on the leadership, but he doesnt need to do much more than hes doing.Hes had nine games as captain already but now hes the big boss. He hasnt got Richie there, which may be a good thing for him, maybe he can grow even more. Warren Gatland talks about the challenge Wales face going up against the All Blacks on their Summer Tour Hes a good person and a good leader of men, and hes the nest No 8 in the world at the moment.dddddddddddd. You couldnt ask for much more!Once again you have to give credit to Hansen, who identified his capabilities a number of years ago and gave him senior leadership roles within the squad.The former All Black hooker says the world champions will not be caught cold in their first outing of the season, as has been known to happen in the past. Kieran Read starts his tenure as full-time All Black captain against Wales Traditionally New Zealand have been slow starters, but I cant see that happening this time.I think Wales will have a proper crack at the All Blacks, theyve said as much themselves, but its easier said than done.New Zealand clash with Warren Gatlands men at Eden Park this Saturday, and the 92-Test veteran is looking forward to the tussle up front.The interesting battle for me will be watching Samson Lee up against Joe Moody. Moody was one of the big movers for me at the end of last year.He came into the World Cup in 2015 after not paying for a few weeks and he performed brilliantly off the bench against France in the quarter-final, then started in the semi-final against the Springboks and the final against the Wallabies. Alun Wyn Jones reaches 100 caps for Wales on Saturday, and he tells us about what drives him on the field Though victory will be the number one priority for those in black this weekend, the Sky Sports pundit says there are some players who need to shine through individual performance in Auckland to stake their claim for the jersey.Cruden has played pretty well in Super Rugby, but his kicking success rate is 52% so hes got something to prove in that department.Cane will have to play well because theyre looking pretty hard at Ardie Savea. Given enough time on the field he could impress.Naholo didnt quite have the expected impact at the World Cup so he will be looking to show what he has to offer.Its an exciting Test match and I cant wait to see what they produce. Also See: Cruden gets All Black nod Wales change five for NZ WATCH: Wales whos who Follow @SkySportsRugby ' ' '