With the St. Louis Blues getting ready to come back to regular season play, the 4 Nations Face-Off is wrapping up in Boston this week. What has been an exciting and fantastic tournament, rivalries have been renewed between the USA and Canada.
With two Blues players representing Team Canada, both Colton Parayko and Jordan Binnington were key figures in that 3-1 rumble between the neighboring countries. But only one of those two will have a lasting impact from the result of this tournament. That being the goaltender, Binnington.
With the championship game set in stone with a rematch of the century, all eyes are on whether Binnington gets the nod. Vegas Goaltender, Adin Hill, is the back-up for Binnington and has yet to play a single second of this tournament. Does head coach John Cooper stay the course, or switch things up?
The result of this final game will have a significant impact on the rest of the Blues season, let’s talk about why.
Confidence Builder
If Canada can pull this off with a monumental victory over the United States in the championship game, with Binnington in net, it spells very good fortune for the Blues. This tournament was a blessing in disguise for a goaltender who has been shaky all season.
Let’s face it, this year has been awfully average for Binnington, much like most of this team. They have yet to rattle off more than a two-game win streak and have been hovering around .500 all year, and the decisions to be made for the looming trade deadline on March 7 is a complete mystery.
But, having Binnington represent his country this past week in a half, against the best hockey teams on the planet, has been a great opportunity for him to get better. He can take this momentum, especially if they win it all on Thursday night, into the final stretch of the season and give the Blues a chance at a playoff berth.
Dooming the season
This tournament is an exhibition, with only bragging rights on the line. These players are representing their countries, not their NHL teams and it does not affect the NHL regular season. But, what happens in this tournament will have a lasting effect on every single one of these players.
Heartache or triumph, the Four Nations face-off will be on the minds of these players for the rest of the season. If Team Canada cannot get it done on Thursday night, and the USA wins it all, Binnington will feel the weight of that blow most of all.
The vibe amongst those fans that support this Canadian powerhouse of a team, is that they are still skeptical of their goaltender's ability to perform in this tournament. Many believe that he should have been left home, and if not for unconfirmed reports of an assistant coach not liking to work with Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, it would have been Thompson over Binnington.
That has to be hard for Binnington to hear and see, whilst trying his best to beat the best team on the planet. If he cannot win this game, it could carry over and spell certain doom for the Blues potential playoff berth.
There are 26 games of meaningful hockey left, and if the Blues remain close to that last wildcard spot, Binnington will get the starts. He will have to be as sharp as a knife for the rest of the way, or else there is no point in labeling this team as a fringe playoff team.
Thursday night isn’t just a big night for a good hockey game, it could change the trajectory of the Blues season. Let’s see how this goes.