Jordan Binnington Appreciation Post

I think Jordan Binnington is just great! That's probably got something to do with being a Blues fan. However, anyone who appreciates a good goalie when they see one should agree. Anyway, time for a little Binnington appreciation!

Jordan Binnington is playing his first full season as the St Louis Blues starting goalie after joining the team mid-way though last season, where he led the team to its first Stanley Cup. (Yassss!)

Journey to the NHL

Binnington's story is one of determination. He didn't give up and refused to take a step back in his career when he knew he had the ability.

In 2011 Jordan Binnington was drafted 88^th overall by the St Louis Blues. At the beginning of the 2018-19 season, he was the organisation’s fourth goalie.

Binnington had had a successful early career, but from 2013 to 2019 spent most of his time in the minor leagues, except for one NHL game as emergency cover. However, he kept working.

He had a reputation for being confident, and in 2017 refused to be sent to the ECHL when the Blues didn’t have a spot for him with the Chicago Wolves, a team they had to share with Vegas. 2017/18 instead saw him loaned to the Providence Bruins, an affiliate of the Boston Bruins. Here Binnington had a .926 save percentage and 2.05 GAA in 28 games.

Binnington began to work even harder and improved in the summer. After all this and these outstanding numbers, somehow after the 2018 Blues training camp he remained below Jake Allen, Chad Johnson and Ville Husso.

Binnington continued to impress in the AHL and had a .927 save percentage and 2.08 GAA in 16 games for the San Antonio Rampage.

The Blues were struggling, badly. 2018/19 was supposed to be their year. They had signed a great team on paper. That was, if goaltending worked out the way it should have. Offseason additions such as Ryan O’Reilly and Tyler Bozak and the yet again return of 2007 1^st round pick David Perron should have helped make them a Cup contender.

Binnington was called up in December and got his long-awaited first NHL start on January 7^th 2019. He got a shutout. He kept winning. Soon the Blues began an 11-game winning streak. The Blues became the seventh team in the Expansion Era to clinch a playoff spot after being dead last in the league after New Year’s Day and are the first to do so this side of the millennium.

Binnington certainly had made the most of his shot in the NHL and finished the season with a 1.89 GAA and .927 save percentage and as a candidate for rookie of the year.

Whenever Binnington lost a game, his statistics after a loss were excellent.

He continued to shine in the playoffs and became the first rookie to claim all 16 postseason wins.

This year Binnington has continued to be a great starter and is part of an excellent tandem with Jake Allen.

You May Not Know That…

Binnington’s 2014/14 mask featured Will Smith. Binnington was a fan of the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and so decided to include the actor as he has always been a big fan.

My Favourite Binnington Moments

So Binnington has been excellent. There's so many amazing saves and classic moments but these two stand out to me the most.

THAT save in the SCF Game 7. Binnington was incredible throughout the playoffs but this save is one of the best and probably one of the most significant he will ever make. The Blues were 2-0 up in TD Garden with just over 10 minutes to go in the third. Binnington made a stunning right pad save on the rebound attempt from Nordstrom. It was just remarkable!

So, apart from being an awesome goalie, Binnington is great for interviews. The best was when asked if he was nervous playing in close games. He replied, “Do I look nervous?”. The reported replies no and Binnington says, “There’s your answer.” I just love this!

NHL Awards

Binnington was recognised as Rookie of the Month in February and March 2019 and was named to the All-Rookie Team. The Stanley Cup Champion has continued to shine this season and participated in the NHL All-Star Weekend where he won the Save Streak competition in front of the St Louis fans.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Jordan Binnington!