#also rangers mobbing senko in hugs and poor mikksy is trying so hard to get to him 😭😭😭😭

[ratatatastic]

theres something particularly poetic about the cellies you share with the man youve spent the most time with as a teammate in your entire nhl career

"first goal?" "mmm" "🫂"

😃 → 😐

(mikkola 1st nhl goal. tarasenko primary asst.)

st louis blues @ san jose sharks | 3.8.21

he was there to set you up for your very first goal against the same team you debuted against 2 months prior. and try as you might to play off your excitement the grin you so wanted to hide blossoms in the presence of his own excitement like you cant help but feed off the joy he mustered up for you. your first accomplishment of many at the nhl-level...

(mikkola goal. tarasenko secondary asst.)

vegas golden knights @ st louis blues | 11.22.21

and for your first goal of the 2122 season and second goal in your nhl career hes there too...in fact he was the secondary assist...hes there a lot...

(tarasenko secondary asst.)

st louis blues @ dallas stars | 12.14.21

...everytime you look down it seems like hes there always willing to cross into your space to shout a multitude of encouragements at you even if you didnt particularly do anything...

st louis blues @ minnesota wild winter classic | 1.1.22

...when your arms open somehow you find him tucked underneath there before you can even blink quite honestly you didnt particularly notice when he wasnt in that spot

(tarasenko goal)

winnipeg jets @ st louis blues | 3.13.22

...and you too find yourself in that very same spot. the spot at his side while his poor arm can barely reach the top of your shoulders

(tarasenko ot winner)

new york rangers @ philadelphia flyers | 3.1.23

and while you no longer wear the familiar blues you both spent years wearing (him much more longer than you)...that off shade of blue is not too outlandish. you still find him in the sea of whites like youve always had.

(mikkola goal. tarasenko secondary asst.)

edmonton oilers @ florida panthers scf game 2 | 6.10.24

and perhaps you should shed those blues for reds. red might be nice too. red will be the colour you see when he jumps into your arms, will be the colour you see when his cheeks are flushed from screaming when that final buzzer rings... was the colour that floods the stands when you won the cup

red is the colour you see explode behind your eyelids as you press your palms tightly against them as your phone lights up with a haunting article highlighting a different red. not your red. a different red team.

but red might be the sweetest colour of all despite that.

and may we find each other again just like we did before