LAS VEGAS (KMOX) - Vladimir Tarasenko flipped the script from expectations of being a possible distraction for the St. Louis Blues after an offseason trade request, to an offensive force with his performance Wednesday night.
He was the most dangerous player on the ice for St. Louis in the 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. He had a goal with seven shots on net – tied for the most in a game in his last two seasons – and directed four other shots towards net that were either blocked or just off target. And after his goal, he took a run at his former Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo.
You can see in the replay, Tarasenko was about to celebrate his third-period goal when he suddenly charged at and got tangled with Pietrangelo:
It was a very frustrating sequence for the defenseman who led St. Louis to its first Stanley Cup three years ago. He turned the puck over twice. First, when was smashed into along the board by Brayden Schenn, then he made an open-ice pass straight to a Blues defenseman which turned into a 3-0 opportunity for St. Louis.
After the game, Tarasenko didn't want to talk about the dust up.
"I’m not going to talk about this,” Tarasenko said. “I have no idea what happened. It’s a game, so guys get emotional. This is part of hockey. If he wants to talk about this, he can talk. But just part of the game.”
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Pietrangelo was not made available to media after the game.
St. Louis has opened the season 3-0 on and plays its first home game on Saturday against the LA Kings.
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