Through two games to start the season, the St. Louis Blues are 1-0-1 with games against the Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken. They have had a few periods of struggles, but overall they look far more structurally sound than last season. One takeaway through the first two games has been the terrific play of goaltender Jordan Binnington.
It’s important not to overreact to a solid start for the Blues after they began last season at 3-0-0, but there are several encouraging signs thus far. With the Blues having four days off before they play again, let’s take a look at the great start for Binnington.
Binnington Has Elite Numbers So Far
In their first game of the season, the Blues lost 2-1 in a shootout against the Stars, but none of that was due to goaltending. Their second game against the Kraken was similar, but the Blues got the shootout win 2-1. One thing that stayed true in both games was the brilliance of Binnington.
Binnington ranks first amongst goaltenders with multiple starts in save percentage (SV%) at .969 and goals saved above average (GSAA) at 4.08. The GSAA stat measures goals prevented by goaltenders given their SV% and shots faced versus the league average SV% on the same number of shots. He is also the only goaltender with multiple starts to have a goals against average (GAA) below 1.00 (0.92). It’s safe to say that Binnington has been elite in his first two starts.
The Blues defense has also been sharper in front of him, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has made some terrific saves in the process. In every goaltending stat category, Binnington’s name is near the top. It’s impressive considering the Blues opponents in the first two games advanced out of the first round of the playoffs last season. They would be 0-2-0 with lesser goaltending play.
Confidence is Key for Binnington
As confident as Binnington has been at times, there have been other times when he’s looked wildly uncomfortable between the pipes. That has not been more notable than over the last two seasons, where Binnington was one of the worst starting goaltenders in the league.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Blues’ 2-1 Win Over Kraken
Nothing can make him more confident than quality defensive play in front of him, but the Blues probably don’t have the personnel to make that happen all season. However, he is taking advantage of that now while also making top-notch saves. The Blues need to keep him as confident as possible, which can be difficult to accomplish, but they are off to a great start with that.
Blues Can Make Playoffs With Binnington in Form
The Blues have struggled to score goals this season with just two in two games, however, I expect them to figure it out sooner rather than later. With that likely to change, Binnington staying in form would go a long way in returning to the playoffs.
The Blues offense needs to come around eventually, but their defense and goaltending have carried them through two games. Outside of the Colorado Avalanche and Stars, the Central Division is more wide open than many have expected going in. Although it’s only been two games, it would be hard to see the Blues missing the playoffs if Binnington stays healthy and has a SV% above .920 when the season is complete.
I don’t want to overreact to anything, but the Binnington performances to start the season have been incredibly encouraging. It’ll be interesting to see the usage of him by head coach Craig Berube as the season rolls along. They need to keep him fresh and Joel Hofer is right there, but they must ride the hot hand.
