The St. Louis Blues have been plagued by a number of things this season. Bad bounces, injuries, and poor performances from the players that were deemed this offseason as being sturdy and dependable.
What was the Blues greatest strength last season has now been deemed as a hazard, the goaltending duo is failing. Neither Jordan Binnington nor Joel Hofer has gotten themselves into a bit of a routine through the first 15 games, and it is hurting this team.
As of late, it has been Hofer starting to dial in. This now leads to a very uncomfortable conversation on the goaltending split.
Has Hofer earned more play time?
Over the last couple of games, Hofer has seen back-to-back starts. He shut out Buffalo, and then was within seconds of beating Seattle before the 50/50 goalie interference no-call and overtime loss.
The consecutive starts could have been a trial run to see if Hofer can handle it. That was the first time this season that No. 30 has played two games in a row, and it seemed like he handled it well.
It really comes down to whether Binnington starts against Calgary on Tuesday. He usually does better with more rest, but if he falters again, expect Hofer back in almost immediately.
Binnington can use this as fuel
With Hofer coming around from his horrific start to the season, all eyes are on Binnington and how he will respond. With the split becoming more even, the franchise-leader in wins might use this as fuel to his fire.
That can only mean good things for Blues fans. We have all seen that when the chips are down, Binnington usually thrives under the pressure. Of course, the defense has to play like they have over the last two games to give No. 50 the best chance to prove himself.