Five games, zero points.
Vladimir Tarasenko has been silent so far in the Western Conference Final, as his St. Louis Blues are down 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks. With his lack of production, all head coach Ken Hitchcock wants him to do is keep his game simple.
"What happens with goal scorers when they get frustrated is they look to hit home runs," Hitchcock said, per NBC's Pro Hockey Talk. "We need him just to act like a worker."
The 24-year-old has been completely shut down by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and the Sharks' defense, recording just one shot on goal in each of his past two games.
It's the second time during the playoffs that Tarasenko has been held to two shots or less over a two-game stretch - after it happened just once in the regular season.
Hitchcock believes more scoring chances will come if Tarasenko plays closer to the puck.
"I think it's a natural tendency with younger players who have this heightened sense of urgency to do what they do well, which for him is score goals," Hitchcock said. "He's gotten too far away from the play. He's got himself too stretched out. We just need him to come back to the puck a little bit more."
The Blues will likely need a big game out of Tarasenko on Wednesday to force a Game 7 back in St. Louis - and help the franchise reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970.
