Goalies are a different sort of breed in the locker room. Many come with their own unique set of quirks or routines. Some can be quite forthcoming and candid, while others make sure that their dialed-in persona on the ice carries over when off the sheet as well.
But playing a position in which a game, series and potential championship can hinge on one split-second stop or miscue unites all netminders in one regard: Not too much rattles these players — regardless of if it’s a vulcanized piece of rubber fired in from the slot or a flurry of questions tossed at them during a media scrum.
If some goalies come off as robotic in terms of how they carry themselves both on and off the ice, then Blues rookie Jordan Binnington might as well be a T-1000. He might not say much, but he’s awfully effective at what he does best — and it’s helped St. Louis carve out a path to a Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Boston Bruins.
Despite playing in only 32 games this season, Binnington was tabbed as a well-deserved
finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy — given annually to the top rookie in the league — due in large part to his efforts in turning the Blues’ season around.
A call-up back in mid-December, Binnington did not become St. Louis’ go-to option in net until the start of January, with the Blues sitting dead last in the NHL standings at the time. But from Jan. 2 through the end of the regular season, St. Louis has been the hottest team in the league, going 30-10-5 down the stretch to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Binnington has led the charge in net for the Blues,
going 24-5-1 over the final four months of the regular season while generating a league-leading 1.89 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
He hasn’t let up in the postseason, either — becoming just the sixth netminder in NHL history to win at least 12 playoff games in a rookie campaign, while boasting a .914 save percentage and a shutout.
The first-year pro’s remarkable run has fueled St. Louis’ march toward the Stanley Cup Final — and clubs are still laboring when it comes to getting the rookie to crack under pressure.
So far, Binnington hasn’t flinched — to say the least.
Bruins defenseman
Connor Clifton
knows firsthand how hard it is to rattle a guy like Binnington.
After all, the pair were teammates with the Providence Bruins for all of last year.
“You watch him on TV — he’s the same way in practice,” Clifton said of Binnington Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena.
Binnington has been a part of the Blues organization since the club tabbed him with the 88th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, but St. Louis was dealing with a bit of a conundrum going into the 2017-18 season.
With the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights last year, the NHL featured 31 teams — but only 30 AHL clubs. After the Knights signed off on an affiliation deal with the Chicago Wolves — St. Louis’ former AHL partner — the Blues didn’t have an avenue for their younger players to develop over a 76-game season.
In order to keep Binnington fresh, the Blues opted to loan Binnington to the Providence Bruins as a temporary player. It was a bit of an odd situation for all parties involved, to say the least.
Binnington excelled during his lone season in Providence, posting a .926 save percentage over 28 games and earning a spot in the AHL All-Star Classic. However, Binnington still took a backseat when it came to reps to
Zane McIntyre
(47 games played), who, unlike Binnington, was still Bruins property.
It was an interesting stop for Binnington — who closed out Providence’s final game of the year with a scrap against Lehigh Valley’s
Danick Martel.
Boston still will have its work cut out for it going into the Cup Final when it comes to landing some punches against the Blues’ netminder. B’s goaltender coach
Bob Essensa
Bruce Cassidy
did add that the extra tape that the Bruins have on Binnington during his tenure in Providence is an added plus.
“I'd like to think it will help,” Cassidy said of Binnington’s time with the P-Bruins. “Goalie Bob knows him. He was down in Providence, so there's a little extra there. I don't think it will affect Binnington much. He's playing well. I'm sure he's going to be on his game, playing the way he plays, even though there might be a little more inside information that we have than maybe San Jose did.
Clifton will let Essensa and Boston’s coaching staff handle most of the heavy lifting when it comes to identifying weaknesses in Binnington’s game. After failing to slip pucks by him during numerous practices with the Baby B’s, Clifton knows that Binnington won't budge easily next week.
