EDMONTON, Alberta – Minutes later winning game 3 from the Stanley Cup Final to move to the edge After a second championship in six years, Vladimir Tarasenko had no interest in revisiting the events that took place on the ice.
“The game is over,” he said. “There is no need to talk about it.”
Moving on to the next game, the next chance, is something Tarasenko learned during the St. Louis title race in 2019, and he brought some of that mentality to the Florida Panthers, who are looking to win the first championship in franchise history. One of some commercial deadline withdrawals Acquired to reinforce the squad just for this occasion, Tarasenko scored four goals in this playoff and played an important role in his short spell at the club.
“He’s been incredible — just his energy, every day,” forward Sam Bennett said. “He is always smiling. He is always in a good mood. His leadership was crucial for us. He has that experience and a lot of guys look up to him, so he’s been amazing, especially for the young guys. But honestly, every guy in our locker room looks up to him. He’s been a big part of that.”
A big part of something the Panthers have been building for some time, starting with draft center Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Aaron Ekblad and continuing with the signing of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and trading for Bennet, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart. General manager Bill Zito, who signed Tarasenko from Ottawa in March, was the final piece of the puzzle.
Before that, the only other Florida player with a Cup ring was Carter Verhaeghe which, coincidentally, won everything at the Edmonton Bubble with Tampa Bay in 2020 – 15 months after Tarasenko and the Blues paraded through the streets from São Luís.
“He won a World Cup, but he has an appreciation”, coach Paulo Maurício he said. “These guys, as they get a little older, they start to appreciate the game.”
Tarasenko, at 32, having debuted in the NHL in 2013, is old enough that Tkachuk grew up in St. Tarasenko was also one of Tkachuk’s favorite players.
“It’s actually crazy to be on the same team as him right now,” Tkachuk said Friday. “When it’s all said and done, we’ll look back (on this) as one of the coolest moments for me: seeing him score a ton of big goals. … I’m sure my 12 or 15 year old self would be completely impressed if I had this opportunity now to play with him.”
Tarasenko, a former World Cup winner, said on Thursday there was no message he needed to convey to his teammates. It all comes down to parking the previous game and focusing on the next one.
“Everyone realizes it’s important to move forward,” Tarasenko said. “If you have a one-game-at-a-time mentality, it helps you.”
Maurice, on the bench, constantly hears Tarasenko and Captain Barkov talking about hockey. In recent months, Tarasenko has begun to do the same with Anton Lundell, taking on the role of mentor to the 22-year-old.
Despite all the great moments he was a part of, this is another reason why Tarasenko was valuable to the Panthers
“Anton has a lot of playoff experience, but he’s still a young player,” Maurice said. “Keep him engaged by talking to him about the details of what happens on the ice so there is a leadership component to communication on the bench. He’s been very impactful in that way.”
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