Tarasenko’s Magical Shootout Goal

Vladimir Tarasenko put on a bit of a magic show during the KHL’s All-Star festivities. Competing in the shootout contest, Tarasenko used the force to send the goaltender the wrong way before recalling the puck and sliding it into an empty net. This great bit of trickery is unfortunately pulled off with a very basic solution (string and tape) but the result was a fantastic one. The attempt is pretty impressive even upon multiple viewings, but even Tank’s bit of magic wasn’t enough to get even the slightest reaction from the stoic Russian commentators.

Tarasenko has been a hot topic of late following his trade within the KHL. Moving from HC Sibir Novosibirsk to the larger SKA St. Petersburgh, Tarasenko’s future remains unclear. One of, if not the, most exciting prospect in the St. Louis organization, Tarasenko’s worth will be greatly influenced by when he makes the jump to the NHL – if at all.

St. Petersburgh has a larger budget and the ability to retain Tarasenko if they wanted. It all comes down to what Tarasenko wants to do. While the above shootout goal is nothing more than some basic trickery, Tarasenko has some very real skill that’s magic in its own way that Blues fans would love to see representing their club.