Why Jordan Binnington holds the key to the Blues making the playoffs
Old #50 is retired. Newer #50 has a chance to solidify himself eternally in St. Louis.
When Adam Wainwright retired a few weeks ago, only a single #50 jersey remained in St. Louis sports. A jersey number doesn’t usually mean a lot when it comes to the value of a player, but their legacy hardens like cement inside fans’ minds each year they spend here.
Enter Jordan Binnington. The St. Louis Blues mainstay in net is coming off a season he and the team would like to forget, and the offseason didn’t feature many improvements outside of Kevin Hayes. So, that means it’s on the defense and goaltending to somehow raise the bar. I have more faith in the latter.
Binnington made one heck of an entrance back in 2019, bursting out of the St. Louis Blues goaltender depth chart to carry the team to their first Stanley Cup championship. But it’s a sizzling arrival that can make viewers demand that level of play during the following seasons. With
He won 24 of the first 30 games of his NHL career, posting a thief-like 1.89 goals against average. He saved 93% of shots fired at his net, a mark that he hasn’t been able to replicate in the three seasons since.
It’s not like Binnington has been bad; it’s more like he hasn’t touched that greatness consistently over the past couple seasons. During last year’s fall from grace for the former playoff-perennial team, the save percentage dipped to .891 while the G.A.A. rose to 3.31. Radio hosts got to dig in on the Stanley Cup prince who had fallen off his horse.
There were also temper tantrums or eruptions of emotion, depending on the fan you talk to. In a game against Minnesota earlier this year, Binnington’s fire took center stage in a scuffle with Ryan Hartman. The Wild player had clipped Binnington near the net, and after the whistle all hell broke loose. The Blues goalie used his blocker to give Hartman a piece of his mind, and the entire NHL suddenly knew about the Binner temper.
A temper is fine as long as it doesn’t become the most known thing about you, and it doesn’t start to drown your team. Granted, Binnington’s fire made up for a lack of response from his teammates--but there are also occurrences where he comes off like a bratty college kid whose chips didn’t fall where he liked.
2023-24 is a different story. Binnington has been a cold-hearted yet silent assassin in net, stopping 94 of 98 shots in his first three starts. GSAA is a cool stat on Hockey Reference, detailing the goals saved above average for a goaltender. Binnington carries a 5.3 GSAA. It was an unreal 13.7 back in 2018-19, but had shrunk down to -19.2 last year.
He’s making the easy stops more routinely, not letting a few sneak in early on and ruin his entire game. Short side attempts are being smothered, and slap shots from the point are being snagged in a glove. The movement is more precise in net, and the confidence can be felt all the way from this armchair in Princeton Heights.
Yes, it’s a small ass sample size that shouldn’t be trusted. The cement won’t dry on three starts, but every great start from Binnington endures him to Blues fans who have already seen his best. We only wish to see it again, and hope it can be enough to push the Blues into postseason contention.
They won’t get near the heavyweights of the Western Conference this season, but they can make some noise with a stellar year from their goaltender. It won’t be easy. Doug Armstrong couldn’t find much defensive relief on the free agent or trade market, leaning heavily again on Colton Parayko and Torey Krug. Binnington’s job will remain difficult, at least until the coaching staff believes in a youth injection on D again.
Binnington holds the key. If he falters, the offense won’t be enough and the defense must have already broken down. Craig Berube has to get more aggressive on lineup changes if things don’t work out in the first couple of months, and that includes who he puts directly in front of his goaltender.
Good luck, Mr. Binnington. For the record, I like his passion and temper. Hockey players should have tempers. He doesn’t pity fools and wants to win badly; that’s the real source of his rage. The guy tasted the fountain of youth in his first brush with the NHL, and wants to get back there.
The road goes through Binnington’s net.