Binnington, Holloway offer ray of light for Blues season

The St. Louis Blues got a much-needed win over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night. The Canadiens were coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, while the Blues had gotten a tight-checking 2-1 over the Ottawa Senators the night before.

In both games, the Blues got tremendous goaltending. On Saturday, it was Joel Hofer’s 41 saves that paved the way for St. Louis.

On Sunday night, Jordan Binnington’s performance cast a ray of light on the Blues’ season. Binnington made 23 saves. But he faced some tougher scoring chances from the Canadiens. Binnington needed to make several key saves to keep the Blues in the game.

Here’s a look at the best one of the night, as shown on the Blues’ official X account:

The clip shows Binnington robbing Ivan Demidov twice. The first, a rebound that the Blues’ D mishandled, showcased Binnington’s athleticism in getting across the net.

The second save on Demidov came during a Canadiens’ second-period power play. The save preserved the Blues’ 3-2 lead. St. Louis would go on to take a 4-2 lead, eventually winning the game 4-3.

Binnington’s outstanding performance was something the club hasn’t been getting much of this season. Hopefully, the Blues’ goalie tandem can continue racking up the wins, potentially propelling the Blues back into the Western Conference playoff race.

Holloway’s big night gave Binnington enough run support

Dylan Holloway has been one of the Blues’ most criticized players this season. His 26 goals and 63 points last season offered a glimpse into the potential the 24-year-old has to become a bona fide NHL star.

But this season hasn’t quite been as successful. Heading into Sunday’s tilt, Holloway had managed seven goals and 14 points in 29 games. While not awful, it was certainly a step down from what fans got to see last season.

Then, it seemed like a switch flipped on Sunday. Holloway scored a goal and notched two assists to mark his best offensive game of the season. He played nearly 20 minutes of ice time, potentially recapturing some of last season’s magic.

Holloway’s second-period goal tied the game for the Blues. Less than a minute later, Pavel Buchnevich stunned the Canadiens with his fifth of the season. It was Holloway’s assist on Brayden Schenn’s second of the night that really set the team on fire.

Here’s a look:

Holloway made a nifty cross-ice pass despite the Canadiens forward’s best effort to prevent the pass. Schenn got a beauty of a pass and made no mistake in burying the puck.

There’s one more play to point out. Holloway made a huge defensive play to save a goal. Check it out here:

That sort of all-around effort is what the Blues have been lacking this season. Nevertheless, the two wins this past weekend have revived the Blues’ playoff aspirations. They are now two points away from the Edmonton Oilers and Utah Mammoth, currently holding the two Western Conference wild card spots.

Don’t look now, but it could be that the Blues have finally turned a corner this season.