Jordan Binnington admits struggles as Joel Hofer outshines him in St. Louis
Photo credit: Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images
Jordan Binnington got the win Tuesday night, but the St. Louis Blues goalie isn't pretending everything is fine.
His words this morning were unusually candid for a goaltender still getting paychecks.
"For me, looking in the mirror after this year, I've got to elevate my process," Binnington said. "I want to be better and I have the will to be better."
That's not the kind of quote you usually get from a starter mid-April. That's a guy who knows what the numbers look like.
He stopped 18 of 23 shots in a 7-5 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The offense bailed him out. It won't always do that.
Over 40 starts this season, Binnington has a .873 save percentage and just one shutout. That's a bottom-tier number for a goaltender carrying a $6 million cap hit.
Joel Hofer's season makes Binnington's situation harder to ignore
Meanwhile, backup Joel Hofer has gone 20-13 in 45 starts with a .909 save percentage and six shutouts. In the same building. On the same team.
That's not a slight on Binnington. That's just a brutal side-by-side comparison that lives in Doug Armstrong's spreadsheets right now.
The Blues are 36-33-12, ranked 24th overall with a goal differential of -29. They've won three straight and gone 6-3-1 in their last 10, but that's a December rescue attempt dressed up as April momentum.
Binnington's quote about looking in the mirror landed differently because of that context. It's one thing for a .920 starter to say he wants to improve. It's another when the backup has outperformed you by 34 save percentage points all season.
Coach Jim Montgomery has a decision to think about heading into Thursday's road game at Utah. With the Blues already on the outside looking in on the Central Division, there's no pressure to protect feelings at this point in the year.
A $6 million goaltender with a .873 save percentage asking to be judged by a higher standard is either the most honest thing a struggling starter has said all season, or it's the kind of statement that only amplifies the pressure ahead of a contract conversation this summer.
Maybe both. This one isn't wrapped up yet.
Also read on Blade of steel :
Canadiens–Lightning series opens with unexpected twist tied to Tampa Bay arena
Canadiens–Lightning series opens with unexpected twist tied to Tampa Bay arena