Jordan Binnington is frustrated.
In a one-on-one interview with The Athletic on Thursday, the Blues goaltender sounded like some of those frustrations were directed at himself. But he also sounded really frustrated with his team and how long it’s taking to round into form.
Binnington was arguably the Blues’ best player early in the 2022-23 season, although he was often the victim of shoddy play in front of him. His frustration level built during that stretch, and lately there have been more goals going in the net that could be pinned on him. There have also been more on-ice incidents that he’s initiated with opponents, which has renewed his reputation around the NHL as — to put it mildly — an antagonist.
It’s reached the point where Blues coach Craig Berube said recently that Binnington needs “a reset” and will start Thomas Greiss against the Jets on Thursday. Greiss has won his past three starts and also played well against the Jets earlier this season, albeit in a 4-0 loss, making 38 saves.
Binnington, who has made 20 of the team’s 26 starts, is 0-6 in his past six appearances with a 5.11 goals-against average and an .827 save percentage.
“Yeah, I think right now ‘Binner’ gets a few days here to work on his game and get some practice time,” Berube said. “I think a reset more than anything right now. He’s played a lot of hockey this year. He’s played a lot of good hockey. I think just a reset more than anything.”
Binnington practiced in the “starter’s net” Thursday morning, which typically indicates which netminder has the assignment that night. But after practice, Greiss was the first one back to the Blues’ locker room, where it was confirmed that he would be starting.
Binnington came in later, and as he was taking his gear off, indicated that he was fine. But the frustration in his voice was palpable.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay focused and clear the mind a little bit. I think sometimes when things aren’t going well as a group, you kind of let that sink into your game. I’m definitely frustrated. I’m not here to waste my time. I want to win every game, and it’s definitely frustrating when you feel like … but it is what it is.”
Feel like what? Binnington was asked to finish his thought. Frustrating when you feel like what?
“When you’re competing and playing hard and you hate to lose and you’re not winning, you know, it’s frustrating,” he said. “It kind of builds up over time.”
To Binnington, this feels like the start of last season, when the Blues won eight of their first 11 games and, personally, he was 6-2. But in mid-November, the wheels began to come off, then Binnington went out with COVID-19 in early December, and he lost his job to backup Ville Husso.
“It’s the same old story; it’s happened (a couple) years in a row, where it’s the same kind of start and, you know, it pisses me off,” Binnington said. “I’m here to win and that starts from day one, from training camp.
“We’re slowly building and playing together. We’re getting there. But we’re two and a half, three months into the season. It just gets frustrating over a period of time where it’s the same thing that you’re seeing and you expect things to be different. I’m not here to waste my f—ing time every game. It’s the NHL. Let’s go!”
In September, Binnington spoke exclusively with The Athletic and said that he’s learning to play with a new source of motivation this season, and it seemed to be working well for him early in the season. He backstopped the club to a 3-0 start, and even during its ensuing eight-game losing streak, he was hardly to blame.
Then the Blues found themselves back in a similar situation, losing games and leaning on the backup.
“You get things going again, you try to prevent that going in, being aware of it (and it happens again),” Binnington said.
That’s perhaps why he’s been a lot fiercer lately.
“Sometimes I’m going to show emotion,” Binnington said. “I hate to lose. Yeah, we’re all working. We’re all trying to build. Again, it’s just frustrating that it takes this long to get there. It’s a team sport, and you try to pick guys up. You try to lead. You try to find different ways to lead.”
Against Carolina on Dec. 1, the Blues had a 2-0 lead when the Hurricanes scored three times in 64 seconds to take a 3-2 lead. It was 12 minutes into the second period when Binnington laid a check on Canes captain Jordan Staal.
On Thursday morning, Binnington addressed the play.
“Yeah, just kind of an instinct,” he said. “A little bit of emotion there, frustration with how it’s going, and I just tried to take a body. I thought it was a clean body — shoulder to chest, stick on puck. I want the emotion. I want the energy. I want us to play hard, be tough to play against and play aggressive. There’s a message.”
Two nights after the hit on Staal, the Blues played Pittsburgh, and with the Penguins leading 3-1 and the first period winding down, Binnington was playing the puck behind the net to defenseman Justin Faulk.
The Pens’ Jason Zucker was skating around the back of the net, chasing down the puck, when Binnington stuck his glove out and it got Zucker in the face.
Zucker stayed down on the ice momentarily.
“The Zucker thing, I didn’t even know I was hitting him in the head,” Binnington said. “I was trying to create space. What pissed me off about that is, he goes into the boards and stays down, and he’s fine. There was nothing to it.”
But in the second period, Binnington faced just two shots, and the second was a goal by Zucker. He was pulled from the game, and on his way out skated by the Pittsburgh bench where he verbally engaged Zucker.
“I was just letting the guy know what I thought about him and his game,” Binnington said.
In Binnington’s mind, it was between him and Zucker, but nationally it garnered a lot of headlines.
“Yeah, it kind of got blown out of proportion,” he said.
Many will say it’s because of Binnington’s reputation, along with the fact that the Zucker incident came on the heels of the Staal one.
“Every instance is different,” he contested. “They’re not antics. It’s the way I play the game. I don’t know what else to really say about it. I’m not hurting anybody. I’m not getting suspended.
“Yeah I get my job is to stop the puck, but sometimes I think I’m a competitor and I can’t just stay in there and take it. It’s not acceptable for me, and I have high standards for us as a group and for myself, and I hold myself to that.”
Binnington said that he’s sending a message at times, even if it doesn’t seem like these messages do anything in terms of pumping up the team or anything else.
“Nah, I think it’s part of it,” he said. “It’s just right now it’s taking us time to all buy in to the game plan. But I do believe over time we’re going to get there. We’re working hard and we want to be successful. Like I said, it’s just been a frustrating period of time where we’re working through it.”
Whether it’s being blown out of proportion or Binnington having good intentions to send the Blues a message, it was evident after the Pittsburgh game that Berube doesn’t like it.
Asked by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas about Binnington’s show of frustration, Berube replied: “It’s got to stop. That doesn’t help anything. It doesn’t help anything. Just play goal. Stop the puck.”
What did Binnington think about Berube’s assessment?
“I’ve got no comment on that,” he said.
The two did have a lengthy conversation the next day, and Binnington said things were good.
“Yeah, it’s about results for me, all the way through,” he said. “There’s no complaining. I’ll pick myself back up and I’m going to go back out there, keep working and keep finding a way. I’ve got to just keep focusing on my job and, yeah, just find a way to do it.”
And as far as not starting Thursday, “It’s part of it. It gives me a chance to regroup and come back. Just do it. Find a way. No excuses.”
(Photo of Jordan Binnington: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
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