Vladimir Tarasenko had himself a moment on Monday, having helped the St. Louis Blues dismantle the Los Angeles Kings via a 3-0 result. The player’s post-match interview had to be delayed as the winger took some time to bask in the crowd’s chanting of his name.
Tarasenko scored two goals in the contest vs. the Kings and the Blues are now 5-0-0, much to the enjoyment of the fans, who certainly showed their appreciation on the back of what was an impressive performance.
The 29-year-old expressed an appreciation over the love shown, not just on Monday, but throughout his career with St. Louis.
“That was a special moment,” he said, per NBC Sports. “It was very emotional. We always have support from the real fans. I always said it in the interviews. Our family got so much help from people from St. Louis. The support through these 10 years was very awesome.”
The Russian was drafted by the Blues at 16th overall in 2010. He requested a trade earlier this year, with reports claiming he was unhappy with the way the team handled his shoulder injuries. That’s all behind him now.
Tarasenko was left unprotected in the 2021 expansion draft, though he was not selected. He seems to be happy now and has certainly been performing like it. Having struggled with shoulder issues for two seasons and making just 34 appearances, he’s looking like himself again and has scored three goals for six points in five games.
Of course, there were questions over the shoulder heading into the season. The player has had three surgeries as a result of his shoulder problems but his first goal on Monday was proof he’s still got a lot to offer.
“That’s just an unbelievable move… vintage ‘Vladi,’” linemate Robert Thomas said. “He’s a player that can make those moves and you guys have seen it over the years, and I mean it was a beauty. It’s a ton of fun skating up the ice behind him, watching him make some magic. Big goal for the team and a big goal for him.”
“He’s been getting a lot of opportunities to score and they haven’t gone in like he wants,” head coach Craig Berube added. “We want him to score too, and it was really good to see, and getting the second one was a big goal.”
“I mean, sometimes you need to try something, not just shoot the puck,” Tarasenko said of the shot. “Good thing it worked out.”
Tarasenko hasn’t been at all hesitant to attempt shots and has had 26 of them on goal so far this season. The Ontario sports betting scene will likely be paying attention as the Blues are 11/2 to win the central division. Their start to the season marks the first in which they have opened a campaign with five consecutive wins.
Their re-energized winger is performing better than expected while left wing David Perron is playing up to his usual standards and center Jordan Kryou is having a breakout season. St. Louis is also solid in goal and everything is in place for them to mount a serious challenge.
Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (#91), Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson (#4), Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (#27) congratulates teammate Center Brayden Schenn (#10) of the St Louis Blues on his goal in the second period.
Most notably, though, Tarasenko’s impact is telling and he has been key to the team’s early success. He’s just happy to be out on the ice again after many more games than he would have liked to over the last couple of seasons.
His long-term future with the team is still shrouded in uncertainty, though. While he has rescinded his trade request, there’s no telling how long he will be happy to remain with the Blues. He insisted that he was there to work at the beginning of training camp with claims that his trade request was in the past. The player was keen on not being a distraction to the team and the support he received from his coach and teammates saw to that.
The chanting of his name on Monday night could be enough to convince him to stay put. What he witnessed on the night was an appreciation for everything he’s helped bring the city, including his efforts in winning them the Stanley Cup in the 2018/19 season.
“Things come out and players are unhappy at times,” Berube noted. “In the end, he’s here, he’s playing for the Blues, he wants to be here, we need him to perform at a high level, and he is. The fans are going to cheer for him.”
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