St. Louis Blues: Vladimir Tarasenko Has Best Game of the NHL Playoffs So Far
Vladimir Tarasenko and the St. Louis Blues evened the series against the Nashville Predators, and it was the superstar's effort that made it happen
Vladimir Tarasenko is a special player, and his skills make him the most indispensable forward on the St. Louis Blues roster.
He finished the regular season with 39 goals and 75 points in 82 games and missed just seven games over the past three years. After scoring nine goals and six assists in 20 playoff games last season, Tarasenko is starting to heat up with three goals and five points in seven games this year.
Tarasenko in the Round 1
The Minnesota Wild were initially considered a major threat to the St. Louis Blues. They finished the regular season seven points ahead of the Blues, good for second in the Western Conference, and trailed the Chicago Blackhawks by just three points.
Even with all the hype, the Blues made mincemeat out the Wild and sailed into Round 2 against the Nashville Predators. However, Tarasenko did not score till the first period of Game 5. He did have two assists in the previous four games, which included a great individual effort leading to Joel Edmundson's overtime winner.
[Via NHL.com]
After breaking the ice in Game 5, it looks like Tarasenko is back.
Tarasenko in Round 2
In just two games, the Blues have looked like completely different teams. In Game 1 against the Predators, the Blues made a third-period surge but ended up losing the game. They were flat-footed in the first two periods, and it cost them. Fast forward to Game 2, and the Blues were looking like their old selves, primarily Tarasenko.
[Via NHL.com]
Tarasenko finished the game with two goals, and both goals helped the Blues control the game. They took the lead in the first period and were not relinquishing it easily. His third-period goal helped the Blues break the tie with less than four minutes left, and it went on to be the game-winner.
If Tarasenko continues to play like this for the rest of the NHL playoffs, it will be interesting to see how far the Blues can go. They have consistently been a contender, but have yet to make it to the Stanley Cups Finals since they lost three straight times between 1968-1970.
The Blues will head to Nashville for Games 3 and 4, before returning home for Game 5. If they can sneak one out on the road, they have ever chance to make it back to the Western Conference finals. If there is any player in the NHL who can help them get there, it is certainly Tarasenko.
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