Vladimir Tarasenko Scores ENG, Taken Out By Teammate Evgeni Malkin

In a fantastic series of gifs, Tumblr user maljic captured an empty-net goal by St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships.

Tarasenko joined a number of his fellow countrymen on Team Russia, among them, Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin. Malkin and Tarasenko have been tearing up the ice together, with Vladi on the Penguin’s wing, but nothing they’ve done during the past week was funnier than the moment shown below.

Tarasenko scored a gorgeous empty-net goal from his stomach Thursday, May 14th, against Sweden. It should have been a quick goal, easily netted, but Tarasenko’s full-out, all-hands-on-deck charge will not soon be forgotten. After that incredible goal, he went to celebrate with his linemates…only to then be taken out by his own teammate during his celly.

Watch the gorgeous goal below…

Vladimir Tarasenko scores ENG lying down: gif courtesy of maljic

And wait for it….

Malkin slew-foots Vladimir Tarasenko during celly; gif courtesy of maljic

Oof.

Luckily both Malkin and Tarasenko were fine, popping up a few seconds later to continue the game (and win it).

Tarasenko has acquitted himself well during the 2015 IIHF Worlds. The Blues NHL site has a breakdown of his play game-by-game, covering not just shots scored but time on ice on ice, and a brief overview of each game’s outcome.

More from St Louis Blues News

"May 12: Finland 3, Russia 2 (SO)Tarasenko logged two shots on goal in 16:36 of ice time as the Russians fell to Finland in a shootout in their final preliminary game. Finland’s Pekka Rinne (Nashville) stopped all five shootout attempts he faced, including Tarasenko, who took the Russian’s third-round shot. With a 4-1-1 record in group play, the Russians have advanced to the quarter-finals where they will take on Sweden on Thursday.May 10: Russia 3, Slovakia 2In a back-and-forth game in which each team held a one-goal lead, Team Russia outlasted Slovakia. Russia fell behind 1-0 but stormed back with two unanswered goals, including Tarasenko’s third of the tournament to give them a 2-1 lead early in the third period. After an equalizer from Slovakia’s Marian Gaborik (Los Angeles), the game went into overtime where Artemi Panarin (SKA St. Petersburg) scored to give Russia their fourth win of the tournament. Heading into the final game of the preliminary round (May 12 vs. Finland), Tarasenko is riding a three-game goal streak (3-1-4).May 9: Russia 7, Belarus 0Tarasenko’s minutes continued to climb (16:56) and he delivered on the scoresheet as Russia trounced Belarus. Tarasenko scored Russia’s second goal, his second of the tournament, and assisted on their seventh for his first multi-point outing of the Championships."

You can read the rest of the breakdowns here.

Team Russia will face a new opponent in just a few days’ time; hopefully when they do, Malkin and Tarasenko have had time to practice how to stay on their feet while celebrating.

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