The St. Louis Blues have won 10 straight games and are clearly back in the playoff hunt. This after a rather disappointing beginning of the season where they floundered near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Since Jan. 3, the Blues have gone an amazing 15-4-1. They have won most of those games with 25-year-old Jordan Binnington in between the pipes.
He has been nothing short of phenomenal and really has aided the St. Louis Blues’ recent surge towards a playoff berth.
Jordan Binnington is Becoming a Star
Binnington’s Past
Like most young players the road to the NHL isn’t as easy as using your GPS on your cell phone. It takes dedicated hard work and determination to make it in this league.
He was a third round 2011 draft selection by the Blues and he has made the rounds playing in the OHL, ECHL, and AHL. Binnington had some good numbers while playing for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL going 75-49-12. He even had 25 wins during the 2014-15 season.
Everything Changed When he Became a Starter
With starting goalie Jake Allen being unpredictable in net, Binnington got his opportunity to step in and be a starter. He hasn’t disappointed yet, and there’s one thing in hockey… you go with a winner.
Binnington has been in net for all but two of the games in the 10-game winning streak. That was because the Blues had back-to-back games on Feb. 9th and 10th, and then again on Feb. 16th and 17th.
Not bad for a player who was thought to be the odd-man out at the beginning of the season. In this sport or any for that matter… there can be a surprise player who makes an impact and can carry the team.
It’s a Team Effort
It’s not that Binnington is doing it alone, mind you. He has some awesome support. The St. Louis Blues added some terrific talent to their lineup over the summer. They acquired players like Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, and Tyler Bozak to name a few.
While the winning streak is impressive one must keep in mind that only half the games were against playoff-bound teams. Defeating the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Nashville Predators (back-to-back) is more of an accomplishment.
From a team who looked like they weren’t going anywhere to the team who is now just six points behind the Predators in the Central Division is quite the feat. They even have three games in hand on the Nashville squad and they could be tied with them if they win those games-in-hand.
What’s also stunning about this team is they have now won three straight games by shutting out their opponents. During this current streak, they have 46 goals scored and have given up just 20.
Good offence, good defence, excellent goaltending usually equates into wins.
Next up Toronto
The real challenge may come when the streaking Blues face the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night. The Maple Leafs are the fourth-best scoring team in the league with a 3.55 goal scoring average per game.
With the shutout streak at stake as well as the winning streak, this could be a very entertaining game to watch.
Can anybody stop the St. Louis Blues?
Main Photo:
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