More saves, no antics: Can Blues’ Jordan Binnington change the NHL’s perception of him?
Isabella Floyd
Published Apr 07, 2026
I’ve got no problem making this proclamation: The night that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington had against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday was his best performance since June 12, 2019. And honestly, it may have been better than that.
You’ll remember that was the date of Game 7 against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden, where Binnington made 32 saves en route to the Stanley Cup. None were as big as the one he made on the Bruins’ Joakim Nordstrom with about 11 minutes to play in regulation, preserving a 2-0 lead that turned into a 4-1 triumph.
In the 4 1/2 seasons since, Binnington has had some impressive games and memorable saves, but none that had everybody talking about him like they were after the Blues’ 2-1 overtime win over Vegas. And one could make the case that he was even better than that evening in 2019, though the circumstances back then would make it impossible to rank Monday’s performance higher.
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The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, who covers the Golden Knights and is our resident goalie guru, was in attendance at T-Mobile Arena on Monday. I caught up with Granger on Tuesday to ask about Binnington, and specifically whether this type of success could change the perception that some around the NHL have of him as an inconsistent goaltender, whose antics have helped define his reputation.
With the same two teams set to face one another on Wednesday night in St. Louis, here’s that conversation.
How good was Binnington on Monday?
Granger: To me, Binnington’s performance Monday in Las Vegas is one of the strongest individual performances by a goalie this season. The mind-boggling statistics back that up.
Not only did Binnington stop all 16 high-danger shots he faced according to Natural Stat Trick, but he saved 4.18 goals above expected. To put that figure into perspective, Binnington had stopped only 5.5 goals saved above expected in his first 17 games combined. Monday’s performance alone jumped him from 16th in the NHL in GSAx all the way up to sixth.
Binnington’s performance looked good by the numbers and may have looked even better by the eye test. He was so in control of that game, playing with a sense of calm. There was no better example than the poke heck on Jack Eichel in the second period when Binnington stabbed the puck off Eichel’s stick like it was nothing.
Which save was the most eye-popping to you, and why?
Granger: OK, maybe there was one better example. Binnington’s glove save on Paul Cotter’s breakaway attempt in the first period was one of the more shockingly casual saves I’ve seen.
Cotter has quick hands and has been almost automatic in one-on-one situations with the goalie this season. He beat Binnington initially with a quick deke to the backhand once he dropped into the butterfly, leaving what looked like a wide-open net to shoot at. The way Binnington nonchalantly snatched that puck off Cotter’s stick and casually stood up like he had it under control the entire way was a sight to behold.
Jordan Binnington makes goalie look so easy, but we promise it's not. #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 5, 2023
What were Vegas players saying afterward?
Granger: Despite the loss, Golden Knights players were actually pretty satisfied with their overall play Monday, and why wouldn’t they be? They generated the second-most high-danger chances (22) and expected goals (5.18) than they have in a game all season. They weren’t shy, though, to give credit where it was due.
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“Listen, he made a ton of saves,” Eichel said. “I liked a lot of our game. Give their goalie credit. He’s an elite goaltender, he made a lot of big saves on us and we couldn’t find a way to get another one by him.”
Eichel scored Vegas’ lone goal in the game. All it took was a power play, a great screen in front by 6-foot-3, 217-pound Mark Stone, and a perfectly placed shot by Eichel.
“We played a pretty good game overall,” Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “Give them credit, their goalie played well. We had lots of chances but couldn’t finish.”
Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev, the former Blue, couldn’t have been too happy with his ex-teammate. What did you think of Binnington denying Barbashev on a couple Grade-A scoring chances?
Granger: I thought Barbashev had one of his better games of the season, and would’ve had at least a couple points if not for Binnington’s heroics. He pulled away from Blues defenders for several odd-man rushes, including a breakaway shot that Binnington got his right pad on.
Binnington Movie Reviews
Oppenheimer 👍👍
Barbie 🚫🚫— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 5, 2023
How has Vegas’ offense been this season? The Golden Knights are No. 3 in the NHL standings, but No. 18 in the league in goals per game (3.08).
Granger: Vegas’ offensive production has been inconsistent this season. Early on, the Golden Knights were filling the net with pucks. They ranked second in the league in goals scored through the first 15 games, then they hit a scoring slump in late November. Since then, they’ve averaged only 2.78 goals per game over the last nine, and they’ve been shut out three times (more than all of last season).
The good news for the Golden Knights is that their defense has still been stellar, and that’s the true identity of this team. Even with the offensive frustrations, they’ve maintained their defensive structure, allowing them to have a good record through this goal drought.
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Getting back to Binnington, what do you think the opinion of him around the NHL is as we sit here today: a top-12 goalie in the league, or someone who hasn’t been consistent enough since winning the Cup and whose antics haven’t helped?
Granger: I think Binnington’s strong start has gone a long way toward reminding people how good he can be when he’s at the top of his game. After two sub-par seasons, I think it was fair for people to wonder if Binnington still had that level of play in him. Through a quarter of the season, he’s made it pretty clear that he does.
I still don’t think he has the consistency of the elite-tier goalies like Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin and Connor Hellebuyck, but when Binnington is at his best, he stops pucks with the best of them. Perhaps this strong start will give him the confidence to sustain that A-game for longer stretches.
Binnington has been antic-free this season. For those who still think of that side of him first, do you believe it’s possible moving forward for him to change that perception?
Granger: It’s a lot easier to remain calm and focused when things are going well. Will that be the case when Binnington (or the Blues in general) go through a rough patch? He’s already shown signs that he’s better prepared to deal with that.
There was a three-game stretch from Nov. 18-24 in which Binnington gave up 14 goals on only 64 shots (.781 save percentage). He was pulled after only 28 minutes against the Arizona Coyotes. The next game, Joel Hofer was pulled in the second period against Nashville, and Binnington came in to give up another four goals.
How did he react? By stopping 140 of 150 shots (.933 save percentage) over the next four games to lead St. Louis to three big wins. We don’t know if he’ll maintain this level of composure over the entire season, but I think he’s given us reason to believe he can.
It was basically impossible to pick just ONE Save of the Game for Jordan Binnington tonight…but we tried anyway. #stlblues | @pncbank
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 5, 2023
There was speculation of Edmonton reaching out to the Blues about Binnington at some point. How much could he have helped the Oilers? That said, it would make zero sense for the Blues to move him during a retool in which they want to remain competitive, right?
Granger: I’m not sure how the Oilers would make it work with Binnington’s $6 million cap hit for the next three years, even if both sides did want to make this deal. Aside from that, I totally agree with your premise that Binnington is valuable to a retooling Blues squad.
Binnington isn’t just a good goalie, he’s the right style of goaltender to hold a team in games while they go through roster turnover. His athleticism and lateral explosion allow him to make saves some goalies can’t. His ability to consistently win in scramble situations in front of the net with improvisation (like he did several times on Monday) makes him a great fit behind a team leaning on its goalie.
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The Blues and Golden Knights had the long flight to St. Louis for their rematch Wednesday night at Enterprise Center. The Blues have back-to-back games Friday and Saturday against Columbus and Chicago, respectively. If you’re them, do you start Binnington on Wednesday?
Granger: Not all goalies are “vibes” goalies, but Binnington certainly seems like he’s one. With how good the vibes were in Las Vegas, I can’t see a reason not to roll him out against the Golden Knights on Wednesday.
Following the game, Binnington was all smiles, saying, “It was definitely a fun game to play in as a goalie.”
He seemed to have the number of few Vegas players, specifically Eichel and Barbashev. That mental edge may not prove to be helpful on Wednesday, but it certainly can’t hurt. In terms of the rest, Binnington could be ready to go for the second night of the back-to-back on Saturday after two days of rest.
(Photo of Jordan Binnington: Jamie Sabau / Getty Images)
