It’s time to keep on trucking.
The St. Louis Blues suffered a huge blow in the second round of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri collided with Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington.
Binnington suffered a lower-body injury. He even admitted to throwing a water bottle at Kadri after Game 3. Both parties had a previous incident this NHL season. Last October, Binnington received a 10-minute misconduct penalty for swinging his goalie stick at Kadri after a scrum between the Blues and Avalanche.
Despite the initial animosity, Binnington met with the media at the Enterprise Center. He told KSDK: “It’s a physical sport. And it’s playoff time and he’s gonna go to the net hard and it’s how it goes. I don’t think he intentionally was trying to do what he did to me, or for me to get injured, I should say. But I think he knows how to play hard, how to go to the net and it happens in this sport. For me, it is what it is. And I just kind of have to deal with it.”
Fortunately, Binnington was able to avoid knee surgery. Maybe you’re wondering what could’ve happened if he didn’t get injured as he went 4-1 with a 1.75 GAA in five starts. The Blues might’ve eliminated the Avalanche in the second round if they were less banged up with injuries. But let’s not dwell on the past and hold grudges at Kadri and the Avalanche in general. Let’s move on and keep the faith because the Blues are doing just that.
Blues head coach Craig Berube told the media in an end-of-season exit interview: “We went through a ton of injuries and COVID stuff, and we had a lot of guys come up from the minors and play really well for us and provide a lot of energy and spark to our team.”
“We were close with Colorado there. If there was a couple bounces here and there that go a little bit differently, who knows?”
The NHL offseason is coming up. For the Blues, they’re facing some tough questions. Take, for example, “Are we going to bargain with David Perron?” and “Is Ville Husso going to stay or go?”
Perron, a pending UFA, is likely going to stay in St. Louis. Perhaps he wants stability for his two children, Mason and Victoria. He, however, will likely have to settle for $3.5 million or less per year. He provides offensive talent and leadership for the Blues, but the reality is that he’s an aging left wing. I don’t see a long-term contract in store for him.