Rooting for Vladimir Tarasenko should be easy money for Blues fans

He kept his promise. Did what he said he would. That makes him as golden as Maroon around here.

Once upon a time, a talented hockey player from Russia came over to St. Louis to play some hockey. He would become an instant fan favorite, and a goal scoring threat that made him a lethal weapon on the ice if his stick touched the puck on the dot. A wrist shot that buckled goaltenders. He would go from a very young man to a moderately aged adult in St. Louis, buying a home and starting a family. He was a St. Louisan.

One night after a regular season win at the Enterprise Center, he made a promise, or pledge, to the fans during one of those postgame interviews with Darren Pang. A lot of players say that stuff. It’s fine television fluff that scores well with the fans. But you could tell Tarasenko meant it from his bones. The promise was simple: His goal was to bring a Stanley Cup to St. Louis, which would be the franchise’s first ever.

Years later, he made good on his promise. He would leave St. Louis in a trade, spending time with the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators. After drinking and celebrating with Keith Tkachuk in 2019, the winger would go on to play with Keith’s son, Brady, and have a chance to see those Madison Square Garden lights. A little while later, he would join the team whose star player is Keith’s other son, Matthew.

Vladimir Tarasenko will return to the final round before the true promised land, going for his second summer long date with the Stanley Cup. He’ll do so donning Florida Panthers colors. A redness to recall in the smallest way a connection with St. Louis through the Cardinals. After all, Tarasenko did enjoy supporting everything this city had to offer. He was the opposite of bullshit, someone you think highly of even after his departure.

The Panthers will take on another team of destiny: The Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid is ready to run through a wall. The modern day Gretzky can taste the alcohol he will guzzle out of Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Panthers want their first; the Oilers want their first in a while.

It’s a great story, and one that attaches back to St. Louis. Tarasenko’s tale started with the Blues, tallying 262 goals during his time here. A ruthless shoulder injury hindered his ending here, but the man can still produce on the ice. He’s put together 50 point seasons since he left, staying a threat from the dot at 32 years old.

He’s also a playoff bulldog. Tarasenko can put on a McDavid type show in the wee hours of extra spring hockey, scoring 47 career goals in 114 games. Normally, especially for a threat like Tarasenko, those would be decent yet not mind-blowing numbers. But it’s in the desperate vice that is the NHL playoffs, a place that deserts even the most gifted of players.

Instead of shrinking under the bright lights, Tarasenko kicks it up a notch. I just remember a guy keeping his word. He would tell the fans that Cup message every few weeks with “Panger” after a win. Barely able to breathe after three periods of hockey and smiling ear to ear, he was proud to be a St. Louis Blue.

Something Kelly Chase said on the Cam and Strick Podcast reminded me of what Tarasenko was and still is to this team and city. Chase blamed the majority of the team’s problems the past few years to a roster that couldn’t care if they were playing in Columbus or St. Louis. That’s the overall feel. The teams that Tarasenko played on didn’t have that feel; those guys were family, bonded by blood, sweat, and failure.

That failure ended five years ago. Tarasenko will always be a guy who knew what it took to be a Blue and what it meant to the city. To Blues fans, he was a star: their personal stud who started here and thrived all the way to the top of that mountain.

Tarasenko has found his way to that mountain again. He’s getting near the top. I hope he gets there, with no offense to Mr. McDavid. If Pat Maroon is celebrated here for being an Oakville native and competing for the cup, St. Louis hockey fans have every reason to throw that passionate weight Tarasenko’s way. He may not be from here, but he was proud to be here.

Good luck, “Big Daddy Vladdy,” as the great Jamie Rivers calls him. Thanks for reading, and good morning.