The Goaltending Battle In St. Louis
from Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic,
Former Blues goalie Jamie McLennan was in St. Louis last week for the retirement of Chris Pronger’s No. 44 jersey. Before leaving town, he was well aware of the debate about who should be starting games: Jordan Binnington or Ville Husso.
“I came in on (Jan. 16), which was the day after Binnington gave up the game-winner against Toronto,” McLennan said. “I know there’s been some inconsistencies with Jordan’s game, so I know there is a pressure point based on Husso’s play. I know it’s a hot-button topic.”
It will get even hotter after the Blues gave Husso a third consecutive start on Sunday in Vancouver, where he won his fifth straight game.
The 26-year-old Finnish netminder followed up his 27-save, 5-0 shutout over Seattle on Friday with 38 saves in a 3-1 win over Vancouver. It was nearly another shutout, as the Canucks’ lone goal came just four seconds after a full two-minute, two-man advantage expired.
Either way, in Husso’s last five games, he’s 5-0 with a 1.20 goals-against average and a .963 save percentage, stopping 154 of 160 shots.
Binnington is expected to get the nod on Monday, as the Blues play the second night of a back-to-back set in Calgary. But Husso’s recent run has led to some legitimate questions: Can Binnington find some consistency in his game again, and if not, will the club regret his long-term contract extension? Will Husso, an unrestricted free agent next summer, be re-signed, and if not, is there a chance he could be traded?
continued (paid)...
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