Pavel Buchnevich scored 38 seconds into overtime to give the St. Louis Blues the win over the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on Monday, but it was Jordan Binnington who was the man of the evening, making 33 saves.
Jordan Binnington can, in periods, be one of the best goalies in the world. But he’s perhaps most known for his hot temper and mixing world-class performances with mediocre games.
But on Monday, he displayed just how great he can be when at his best, robbing the Golden Knights on multiple occasions.
Already in the first period, he had stopped more than one 2-on-1 for the Golden Knights.
Thanks to Binnington, the Blues held a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. Binnington had struggled in his last six starts, with a goals-against average of 4.56, the highest among goaltenders with at least five starts since Nov. 18. But against the Vegas Golden Knights, he looked like his former self, and it didn’t even matter what the Vegas crowd tried to do to get under his skin.
During the game, as Binnington tried to catch his breath after a whistle, drinking some water, a young kid with a Vegas jersey did absolutely everything to taunt the star goalie.
He slammed a toy against the glass, making faces, and screamed things. Binnington, however, didn’t really seem to care.
He probably did take notice but didn’t give the kid anything back, and the video of it all quickly went viral, with fans finding it absolutely hilarious.
”Hahahaha hell yeah,” one said on the social media platform X.
”Surprised he didn’t start swinging his stick at the kid,” another said.
”Bro wanted to drop the gloves, we all know it,” a third added.
For Binnington, it was a perfect night and an important win against a great team.
“It’s a fun atmosphere to play in; I enjoy it… going against a team like that,” Binnington said. “They’re a competitive group and they play the right way and play hard, so I think we did a good job stepping up tonight and getting the win.”
