The St. Louis Blues have found themselves in a type of purgatory. They’re not quite ready to punt on the season, but not quite poised to make a strong run at a playoff spot. So, it seems Jim Montgomery’s best option at this point is to roll with the hot hand, across the lineup.
That philosophy includes going with Joel Hofer in the crease on Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken. Hofer is coming off a 3-0 clean sheet against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
So, is there any reason to go with Jordan Binnington against the Kraken? After all, the Washington Capitals chased Binnington in his last start. By deductive reasoning, Hofer has earned another start, at least for the next game.
Unless Hofer gets hit by a car and has a stinker, Binnington should sit for the time being. Binnington is posting a 3.34 GAA and an .859 SV%. While those numbers are actually better than Hofer’s over the course of the season, the fact is that Hofer is the hot hand right now.
The emphasis is on “right now.” Montgomery and the Blues should well forget about the next game or even next week. The focus should be on “now.” That “now” means that Hofer gets one more start, while Binnington takes a breather.
Montgomery gradually shaking things up
Jim Montgomery’s move to scratch Jordan Kyrou was a great idea. It sent a message that he’s not afraid to put veteran players on notice for their lack of effort.
That being said, handing the reins over to Joel Hofer, at least for the time being, would be another good move. Unless Montgomery has some magic pills sitting in a drawer somewhere, Binnington could use a breather.
Meanwhile, the Blues have nothing to lose with Hofer at this point. The season is already dangerously teetering on the edge. A couple of more stinkers and the year could fall over. But then again, giving Hofer a real shot is worth it.
The Blues can still salvage the season. But short of a monster trade or another coaching change, shaking up the squad is truly the only way Montgomery can avoid losing the clubhouse entirely.
The game against Buffalo last Thursday was a good start. It remains to be seen if the Blues can string together another strong outing and keep the ball rolling. Otherwise, a slow demise could ensue, leading Doug Armstrong to make some tough-love choices.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First things first. The Blues must focus on Seattle and take it from there.