Jordan Binnington understandably wasn't happy about head coach Jim Montgomery pulling him after he allowed two goals in five shots. Binnington was seen skating off the ice, shouting at Montgomery after he got pulled at the 10:24 mark in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
But don't expect that to wreck the relationship between player and coach, as Montgomery clarified that there are no hard feelings between the two. In fact, it's water under the bridge as far as Montgomery's concerned.
Lou Korac of The Hockey News took to X, sharing that Montgomery said, "You know, I love Jordan Binnington. He's a competitor, he raises his games in the big moments all the time. I love him. He walked off the ice, he said, 'I love you.' I said, 'I love you too.' We're both competitors by nature, and at the end of the period, he waited for me, we apologized, we moved on. It's over and done with."
Things seem fine between Jim Montgomery and Jordan Binnington
With injuries mounting and the Blues playing far below preseason expectations, tension is the usual byproduct. But the last thing the Blues need is to deteriorate into such a mess that the coach is losing his players.
For a minute on Monday night, that seemed to be the case. But until Montgomery clarified things, it's clear that Binnington hasn't lost faith in the coach, nor is he trying to put Montgomery on the spot in front of tens of thousands of fans. This was a "heat of the moment" exchange that culminated with both the team's and Binnington's struggles.
And if a star player like Binnington realizes he made a mistake and flat-out admitted he made a mistake, per Montgomery's words, then nobody needs to turn this thing into something it's not. Not unless it becomes clear that Binnington wants out of St. Louis, or that there is more trouble brewing behind the scenes.
Jordan Binnington has come back from awful stretches in the past
It's also not like Binnington hasn't found himself in such a dire position before. That's good news for Blues fans who want to see Binnington stick around and work through this rough stretch.
In 2021-22, Binnington struggled to a 0.901 save percentage, a 3.13 GAA, and a 0.432 quality starts percentage to go with two shutouts. The following season, Binnington finished with a 0.894 save percentage, a 3.31 GAA, a 0.450 quality starts percentage, and two shutouts.
2023-24 and 2024-25 saw a resurgence in Binnington's play. Following two pedestrian campaigns, Binnington ended the year with a 0.913 save percentage, a 2.84 GAA, three shutouts, and a 0.600 quality starts percentage. Fast forward to 2024-25, and Binnington landed a 0.900 save percentage, a 2.69 GAA, three shutouts, and a 0.574 quality starts percentage.
Binnington currently has a 0.882 save percentage, a 3.11 GAA, zero shutouts, and a 0.533 quality starts percentage, with a 6-5-5 record. These numbers aren't awful, but Binnington is capable of way, way more. As the past numbers show, Binnington has more than proven he can bounce back from bad stretches and even bad seasons.
So, don't expect Binnington's relationship with Jim Montgomery or the St. Louis Blues to deteriorate just yet. Binnington had a bad moment; he owned up to it, and that's that. As it stands, there are no hard feelings between the two, and it means there's still a good chance for Binnington to turn his season around. He has made drastic turnarounds in the past, so don't be surprised if he pulls off another one.