Binnington’s latest meltdown felt like the beginning of the end

The St. Louis Blues were unable to compete with the high-flying Anaheim Ducks, losing 4-1 in a wild game. As the month of December is now here, this month is a pivotal one for a team that has been playing some good hockey lately.

The most bizarre thing to happen in the losing effort came in the first few minutes of the game. Goaltender Jordan Binnington allowed two very soft goals on the first five shots of the game, which led to a meltdown moment that might lead to much more in the future.

After that second goal went in, courtesy of Anaheim's star forward Mason McTavish, head coach Jim Montgomery looked immediately to backup Joel Hofer to replace Binnington. It was a very quick pull, and in hindsight, it nearly worked out as Hofer came in and put on a masterful showing.

Here is more of a look at that heated moment.

Think back into the history of this game. What is one the most prolific moments of a goaltender and coach battling on the bench? Let's take a little trip back to 1995, when Patrick Roy was left in against the Detroit Red Wings and allowed nine goals. The notorious moment of him walking past coach Mario Tremblay and proclaiming he would never play for the Canadiens again is engrained into every hockey fans mind, and it led to one of the biggest trades in NHL history.

This recent scuffle between Binnington and Montgomery is not going to escalate to that level, at least it shouldn't. But, you cannot ignore that the franchise-leading goaltender in wins, most recent meltdown, seems like the beginning of the end.

Since the season began, there has been no real rhythm for either goaltender on this roster, with Binnington having highlights and low-lights throughout his first 15 starts of the season. There are a bunch of teams in the NHL right now that can use a seasoned goaltender, and the Blues might have to make a decision to better their season.

Is this most recent tirade the straw that broke the camel's back, enticing General Manager Doug Armstrong to trade Binnington?

Probably not, as the idea of Hofer taking the starting spot in the goaltending tandem is not a permanent solution yet. But, after Hofer has a solid outing against the Ducks to give the Blues a chance at victory, the goaltending split has to be 50/50 at this point. If anything, let Hofer ride out a couple of games to let Binnington get his head right.

Still, having your starting goaltender and head coach get into on the bench is hard to ignore. The Blues have had to deal with injuries all season long, but this most recent injury spree has left this team vulnerable. Jimmy Snuggerud and Alexy Toropchenko, as well as the unkown return of Pius Suter, are three heavy hits to this team.

Can the Blues figure this out, and erase this ugly moment from their memory?