Massive hit by Ben Chiarot leads to career milestone moment for Vladimir Tarasenko

There wasn't very much that went right for the Detroit Red Wings in the opening 20 minutes of play against the divisional foe Tampa Bay Lightning, but there was one notable positive.

Forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who is playing in his 1st year with the Red Wings after signing a 2-year contract during the summer, scored the 300th goal of his NHL career.

The play was made possible thanks to a massive hit from defenseman Ben Chiarot in front of the benches, which led to a rush by the Red Wings into Tampa's defensive zone.

Moritz Seider's shot was deflected by Tarasenko past goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for the milestone goal:

It was his 22nd point (7G, 15A) of the year; his production has dropped considerably in his inaugural year in the Motor City.

Coincidently enough, Tarasenko scored his very 1st career goal against the Red Wings as a member of the St. Louis Blues in 2013.

He is a 2-time Stanley Cup champion, having hoisted the famed trophy with the Blues in 2019 and then again last year with the Red Wings' divisional rival Florida Panthers.

He split last year between the Ottawa Senators and Panthers; he's also played for the New York Rangers after being picked up at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, where he was briefly teammates with Patrick Kane.