The St. Louis Blues were unable to put in a single goal against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night, losing 5-0. It was a downright blowout, and Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was once again on the disappointing end.
Here are three takeaways from this abysmal loss.
Another setback
After a solid shutout win against Carolina, and then that magical streak-snapping shootout victory against Tampa Bay, things were starting to look up. Plus, the return of Dylan Holloway was another nice addition to compete against a strong but underwhelming Edmonton team.
But that result on the ice in the Rogers Place was a huge setback for this team. These losses cause a permanent sting on the season, and this gauntlet in January is going to turn up from here.
Another injury
After getting back Nathan Walker a few games ago, Holloway rejoined the squad ahead of his return to Edmonton. With only Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg currently out with injury, this lineup was starting to finally get back to full strength.
That was until Oskar Sundqvist suffered a deep cut from a skate on his ankle. He had to get some help off the ice from the Blues' training staff, and his timetable to return is unknown. Deep cuts like this are tricky, and depending on where it was, it could cause some long-term damage.
Just when things were starting to get back to normal, the black cloud loomed over the Blues again.
Binnington may soon be untradeable
You see that headline and think, yes, Binnington is untradable. But, with how his play has translated on the ice in his last five starts, his window for trading him for a decent return might have closed.
This most recent showing against Edmonton is now the seventh loss of his last eight starts. The lone win came in that shutout effort against Montreal, and over those eight starts, he has allowed 33 goals on 229 shots. This has been very unlike Binnington, and his lackluster play has made backup goaltender Joel Hofer look like a superstar.
Is the end of Binnington's tenure in St. Louis coming to an end?