St. Louis Blues end of season Q & A with Jordan Binnington

No. 1 goalie had arguably his best full season in NHL, had second-most wins of career (28), part of tandem with Joel Hofer that held Blues in playoff chase until late in season

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- For those that know Jordan Binnington since he first donned a Blues jersey on what will always go down as historic day on Jan. 7, 2019 know that the St. Louis Blues goalie lives in the moment and doesn't give a lick what anyone else thinks or says about him.

It's what has molded him into the goalie he is today, always having to fight for himself from the moment he decided to become a professional hockey player. The 30-year-old's been fighting the odds since he left Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League in 2013.

And after leading the pack for the Blues in their Stanley Cup-winning title run in 2019, there have been detractors that Binnington was a one-hit wonder, once again downplaying his abilities.

The numbers supported the naysayers, going from a 1.89 goals-against average and .927 save percentage his rookie season to a career-worst 3.31 GAA and .894 save percentage last season despite the lackluster play by Blues defensive unit.

And as good as Binnington was in the Cup run, going 24-5-1, then setting the record for rookie goalies by winning all 16 games in the playoffs, this, the 2023-24 season may have been Binnington's best yet.

Sure, the numbers may look ordinary (28-21-5, 2.84 GAA and .913 save percentage) but consider the fact that the Blues, who went 43-33-6 (92 points) probably had no business being in the playoff race as long as they were, getting all the way to Game 80 before being eliminated, their goaltending -- led by Binnington and Joel Hofer -- was the top reason why they were relevant as long as they were.

Binnington was in the top 10 in many stat keepers who track goals-saved above average/expected goals against, including first in the NHL in xGA according to naturalstattrick.com (178.64) and he had a 16.35 in GSAA, which was good for sixth overall, fifth for goalies to play in 50 or more games.

The goalie spoke at the end-of-season media session last week and discussed why the Blues fell short, how he felt his season went, the relationship with Joel Hofer, and a host of topics:

Looking back on the season, great goalie numbers, multiple 25-goal scorers, d-men blocking shots, are you thinking you should still be playing?

That's the goal. There are some guys who had some good years and some young guys who had some good years, guys who took steps. It's on us to continue that and have a good offseason here and carry that into next year and hopefully have a better outcome in the season.

How do you evaluate your season?

I felt I was present throughout. I checked in pretty often and put my best foot forward every day. So I feel good about that and definitely some evolution, some growth. Lots of things to take away and more experience.

What was it like working with Joel Hofer and seeing his progression?

It was a lot of fun. He's a good kid, good guy and he's a good goalie. It was fun working with him. He's getting me playing with the puck more in practice handling pucks. I learned a little bit from him too just watching him play and on a day to day basis. You can take stuff from everywhere. It was fun being partners with him this year.

When you get close to making it, what in your mind kept you from making it to the playoffs?

I think the urgency level from an earlier point in the season. I think even though it's early on, those points are important, those games are important. It all adds up. Just finding another level right from the get-go, an intense training camp all the way through the end of the season I would say.

What allowed you to be so consistent this year and electric on a lot of nights?

I think just experience and knowing myself and knowing what I need. I felt a great relationship with the coach, Dave Alexander here. It was very smooth in sync, which definitely helped. Just piecing things together as I go and I'm enjoying it and I think that's important to just have that vision for myself and enjoy it along the way.

Does it feel good that national people recognize how good you were, feel good about that?

Yeah, when you break it down, the thing I'm most proud of is my craft in the net as for hockey goes. Definitely I'm appreciative of that.

How do you compare where the team was defensively last year to this year; what kids of strides did you see?

I'd say improvements for sure. Just being more in sync and killing plays is a term we use here, making reads and being aggressive to retrieve pucks and in turn, I think that turns into offense. That's how the game works and that's how you're successful in this league. Some guys in the back have had some great years and you look at guys like Toropchenko, Walker, 'Kapi,' guys are blocking shots and doing what it takes to win. There's signs of all that. Hopefully it's just carrying that with us and having a great offseason, taking steps, whether you're a young guy, just learn as much as you can this year and take that forward. If you're a mid-20 guy, it's time to take a step to be that veteran presence that we need and competitive player day in, day out and just agree to do what you can what the team needs to win.

How tough is it to have to sit and watch the playoffs for the second year in a row?

It hurts this year for sure. You just figure hopefully last year's a one-off, but it's why we play, right? Just to be a competitor. You don't play this game forever. You want to be in that action and even just playing in Dallas last night and how loud the rink was and how excited the fans were to cheer on their team, that's something that's earned and I think we're our path back to earning that feeling.

If you could describe the season in one word, what is it and why?

I don't know. Personally ... as a team, I guess the same thing: evolution. Just growing as people and players and as a team. I think the biggest thing is growth as a team. Just coming together. We had a lot of big meetings, broke some barriers and talked about different things. I think moving forward, that will be a strong suit for us.

Are days like this tougher because roster likely won't be the same?

That's the game and I think that's what guys need to realize that you've got to make the most of all these moments, opportunities and seasons. You have great friends you play with and then you don't play with them, maybe never again so you've got to enjoy that. The most fun you'll have and the most times you'll be remembered is by being successful. I think that's the key thing to take away.

How close will you pay attention to the coaching situation and how do you feel about the job Drew Bannister did?

I think 'Banny,' it's not an easy situation to come into. He had a good record and he did a good job. I think he put his best foot forward every day. He held good meetings. He put himself out there, he was intense, he brought energy for us to rise up. I think a group like us needed that sometimes to get us motivated for whatever reason. It's not really in our control, per say. I'll just kind of see what happens with that and if I get asked any thoughts or opinions, I'll be able to speak freely.