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10 Wishes for a Better 2017 in St. Louis Sports

By Patrick Karraker

Jun 16, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis FC fans show their support with a banner during the second half of the match against Sporting KC at Sporting Park. Sporting KC won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis FC fans show their support with a banner during the second half of the match against Sporting KC at Sporting Park. Sporting KC won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Vladimir Tarasenko St. Louis Blues
Nov 3, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars beat the Blues 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

5. A Strong Finish from Vladimir Tarasenko

At this point, we’ve pretty much just gotten used to the fact that Vladimir Tarasenko is going to be one of the most dominant players in the NHL on a yearly basis. But while he’s a once-in-a-generation player who should not be taken for granted, his inconsistency can be maddening at times. That was definitely the case in last season’s Western Conference Finals, when Tarasenko was held pointless before scoring two meaningless goals late in Game 6 when the Blues’ fate had already been decided. It’s been the case recently, too, as Tarasenko has just one goal and one assist with a minus-4 rating over his past six games.

He’s no longer even close to being on pace to score 50 goals this season, as he was just a few weeks ago, and as things stand now he’s not even on pace to match last season’s total of 40 goals. Tarasenko would be well-served to bounce back in the new year, and even if he doesn’t produce enough during the regular season to earn the scoring title (it’s going to take a colossal drop-off from Sidney Crosby for anyone else to have a chance at it, anyway), it’d be huge for Tarasenko to play his best when the stakes are the highest. The Blues were so close to the Stanley Cup Final last season, and while the team just isn’t as talented as it was in 2015-16, it’s still easy to imagine them being Cup contenders if Tarasenko thrives when it matters most, rather than disappearing like he did last season.

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