Vladimir Tarasenko on Chelsea FC, Blues' Cup chances
TORONTO — Vladimir Tarasenko loves Chelsea. No, he’s certainly not a fan of “Chelsea Dagger,” the Chicago Blackhawks’ goal song, but rather the Barclays Premier League club who currently reside just above the relegation zone through five games.
Tarasenko loves to watch winger Eden Hazard and is a big fan of manager Jose Mourinho. “I like the way he does everywhere on the field, in the press conference," he said. "He's won everywhere, never was like fourth or fifth, was always first or second.”
Someday he hopes the MLS comes to St. Louis.
So when I needle Tarasenko during the NHL Player Media Tour last week about the early-season struggles of Mourinho’s side he shoots back, “Who do you follow?,” like he already knew he was about to win this little back and forth..
“Leeds United. They’re in the Championship,” I respond.
“I know.”
Flawless victory.
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That win was a good ending to a great summer for the 23-year old Tarasenko, who got married and signed an 8-year, $60 million mega-deal with the St. Louis Blues in the off-season. Those personal milestones came after a year where he posted a career-best 37 goals and 73 points and led the team in both categories. He also scored what NHL.com ranked as the second-best goal of the regular season:
(He pulled off the Nilsson/Forsberg move again versus Devan Dubnyk and the Minnesota Wild in Round 1.)
The Tarasenko Show became a phenomenon last season. Every time the young Russian forward scored a highlight-reel goal, the gifs, Vines and YouTubes spread throughout social media like a wildfire. But while Tarasenko felt the excitement surrounding him during a memorable season, the past is the past in his mind.
“I think you can feel it, especially in St. Louis. They really love hockey there,” he said. “Last season is history right now, so you can forget it and move forward for this year.”
Playing alongside Jori Lehtera helped Tarasenko flourish last season. It helped that the two had a built-in chemistry.
“We played together in Russia (Sibir Novosibirsk), so it was easier to play again,” he said, “and he knows where I am skating and I know where he’s skating. It always easy to play with a guy who understands where you’re going and who can pass the puck really good. It was a really good year for us.”
Lehtera could miss some time at the start of the season, but Tarasenko isn’t worried.
As the 2015-16 season arrives, the Stanley Cup expectations remain for the Blues as the franchise tries to escape the second round for the first time since 2001. In fact, since the 2004-05 NHL lockout, St. Louis has won only 10 postseason games. That’s less than the Edmonton Oilers (15), Colorado Avalanche (13) and Arizona Coyotes (12).
Head coach Ken Hitchcock was given a stay of execution and after a second-straight exit in the first round, but that won’t be the case if the Blues’ off-season begins much earlier than expected in 2016. And he might not be the only one shipped out of town.
For all their failures, Tarasenko isn’t feeling the pressure for success.
“I don’t think there’s big pressure because we never win the Cup,” he said. “We just try to play our best and we have this goal of bringing the Cup to St. Louis.
“I hope and I believe we can make it this year.”
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
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