St. Louis Blues first round draft pick Vladimir Tarasenko joined fellow 2010 first-round pick Jaden Schwartz in scoring in his first NHL game and on his first NHL shot, but Tarasenko did even better by scoring on his first two shots in the same game. Schwartz also scored on his first two NHL shots but in separate games. It started a memorable night, as the defending Central Division champs beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-0, Saturday night at Scottrade Center.Tarasenko scored a pair of highlight-reel goals, both times going in alone on Wings goalie Jimmy Howard and the Blue scored four power play goals and a shorthanded goal.
After Tarasenko’s first goal, just under seven minutes into the game, Chris Stewart, who had a disappointing season with only 15 goals last season following back-to-back 28-goal campaigns, scored a power-play goal at 14:44 for a 2-0 lead as the Blues blitzed the Red Wings, outshooting them 17-2.
Tarasenko beat Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey before lifting a backhander over Howard for a 3-0 lead in the second. T.J. Oshie took a long stretch pass from Alex Pietrangelo and snapped a shot through Howard’s legs for a shorthanded goal late in the second. The Blues outshot the Wings 27-7 through the first two periods.
Howard’s night ended when Stewart got his second early in the third, the Blues’ third power-play goal on four chances. Howard stopped 23 shots before he was replaced by Jonas Gustavsson. Berglund added a fourth power play goal on five chances.
