April 15--When winger Vladimir Tarasenko first came to the Blues in 2013, one of the first things he told the organization was: "Go sign Artemi Panarin."
Tarasenko and Panarin are good friends and played together for the Russian national junior team. Tarasenko could see Panarin had a budding career ahead of him in the NHL.
"If they ask me do you want to play with him, I said yes, but (the Blackhawks) signed him," Tarasenko said.
Blues Ken Hitchcock got tired of hearing Tarasenko talk about Panarin.
"I think instead of giving (Tarasenko) $8 million per season we should have hired him as a scout," Hitchcock said. "He told us the day he got here about Panarin. He told us at least once a month about him."
But as Tarasenko said: "He's the enemy now."
Tarasenko, who scored 40 goals this season, wasn't surprised that Panarin took the NHL by storm this season in scoring 30 goals and tallying 47 assists. The Central Division now has a pair of Russian snipers.
"I know him as a player a long time," Tarasenko said. "And I think that's how he can play every year. I can't be happy for a Blackhawks guy, but I'm really happy for him as a friend."
Panarin said he was happy to see the Hawks draw the Blues in the first round.
"I would love to give him good competition ..." Panarin said Monday through an interpreter. "But there's no friends here on ice."
As for the Hawks' lineup headed into Game 2, defenseman Duncan Keith is back and it appears Erik Gustafsson will be a healthy scratch. Viktor Svedberg is likely to stay in the lineup, as is winger Brandon Mashinter, much to the chagrin of those fans pining for Richard Panik or Dale Weise to see playing time.
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Twitter @ChristopherHine
