Blues Fall to Ducks as Binnington’s Early Exit Sparks Emotional Night in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS - Monday night was shaping up to be a potential turning point for the St.
Louis Blues - a chance to string together three straight wins for the first time this season. But instead of momentum, what unfolded at Enterprise Center was a reminder of just how fine the line is between riding the hot hand and needing a spark.
The Blues turned back to Jordan Binnington in net against the Anaheim Ducks, a decision that made sense on paper. Binnington had been sharp in his previous four starts, posting a .935 save percentage and going 2-0-2 in that stretch. But the game unraveled quickly, and emotions flared - on the ice and behind the bench.
A Short Night for Binnington
It didn’t take long for things to go sideways. Just 6:33 into the first period, Anaheim’s Mason McTavish opened the scoring with a wrister that snuck past Binnington on the short side.
Blues defenseman Cam Fowler was in the area and may have gotten a stick on the puck, but even he wasn’t sure afterward. Either way, it was a tough goal to give up.
St. Louis responded immediately - Jordan Kyrou, who’s been heating up offensively, tied the game just 20 seconds later with his team-leading eighth goal of the season. It looked like the Blues might settle in.
But then came the backbreaker.
On the Blues’ first power play of the night, with a chance to take control early, Anaheim defenseman Pavel Mintyukov ended a long penalty-kill shift by simply putting a shot on net. It wasn’t flashy - no deke, no screen - just a clean snipe that beat Binnington far side. Suddenly, the Blues were trailing 2-1, and the air went out of the building.
Head coach Jim Montgomery didn’t hesitate. Just past the halfway mark of the first period, he signaled for Joel Hofer to take over in net.
Binnington, clearly frustrated, glared toward the bench and had a few words as he skated off. Instead of heading to his usual spot on the bench, he went straight to the locker room for the rest of the period.
Montgomery Makes the Call - and Then Mends the Fence
After the game, Montgomery was candid about the decision.
“We needed a save there,” he said. “And I wanted to switch the momentum.
There’ve been a couple games earlier this season where I wish I had made a move and didn’t. I didn’t want to have any regrets tonight.”
Montgomery’s coached his share of top-tier goalies - Ben Bishop in Dallas, Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark in Boston - so he’s no stranger to making tough calls in the crease. He said he evaluates not just the goals themselves but how they’re scored, and whether the goalie looks “off.”
“Sometimes you let goalies fight through it,” he explained. “But just like a forward who’s not going, you cut back their minutes.
I sit Buchy or Thomas for a couple minutes, no one notices. With a goalie, everyone sees it.”
And Binnington definitely noticed.
But to Montgomery’s credit, the two addressed the moment head-on. The coach said they spoke during the intermission, apologized to each other, and moved on.
“It’s just the professionalism you expect from someone like Binner,” Montgomery said. “And it’s about letting my own ego go and going to him. You deal with it right away, and nothing festers.”
By the start of the second period, Binnington was back on the bench, helmet on, ready to support his team.
Hofer Solid in Relief, But Blues Can’t Climb Back
Hofer, fresh off a shutout win over the Utah Mammoth on Saturday, stepped in and did what he could. He stopped 19 of 20 shots in relief, but the damage had already been done. The Ducks tacked on another goal in the third and sealed it with an empty-netter for a 4-1 win.
Despite Hofer’s strong play, the Blues’ power play couldn’t capitalize, going 0-for-6 on the night. That included a golden opportunity right after Kyrou’s equalizer, when they could’ve seized momentum. Instead, it was Anaheim who struck next - and never looked back.
Teammates Rally Around Binnington
While the loss stung, Binnington’s reaction - walking off the ice visibly upset - didn’t go unnoticed in the locker room. But his teammates weren’t reading it as anything more than competitive fire.
“We’re all competitive,” said Fowler. “We’re trying to win hockey games around here. And yeah, of course, I like seeing the fire out of him.”
Jake Neighbours echoed that sentiment: “We know what Binner is about. He’s competitive.
He wants to play, he wants to compete, and he wants to be out there with us. That’s just who he is.
That competitive spirit is what we love about Binner.”
What’s Next for the Blues?
This wasn’t the outcome the Blues were hoping for, especially after back-to-back wins and a chance to build momentum. But the bigger story may be how the team - and its coach - handled a tough moment with one of its most important players.
Binnington has been the backbone of the Blues for nearly a decade. He’s their all-time leader in games played, starts, and wins. And while he’s had his share of emotional moments, this one stood out - not because he lost his cool, but because of how quickly things were addressed and resolved.
In a long NHL season, these are the moments that can either divide or galvanize a locker room. The Blues are betting on the latter.