The St. Louis Blues are getting set for their finale of the first round against the Winnipeg Jets. This game seven will either send the Blues to the second round, or send them home for good. With that said, there is only one clear-cut MVP for this series.
Whether the Blues win or lose, their goaltender Jordan Binnington is the most valuable player for either team.
Holding it down for the entire series
This series has been special, with both sides only finding success on home ice. But, even on the road, with the opposing team's die-hard fans badgering the goaltenders, only one stood tall against the grain.
Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was pulled from all three road games at the Enterprise Center. He allowed 16 goals on 66 shots faced. That is an abysmal 7.24 Goals Against Average on the road this postseason, keeping the Blues in this series to force game seven.
Binnington, despite losing three games himself on the road, fared much better than his advisory. He allowed 10 goals on 72 shots faced on the road. Plus, he has kept the Blues within striking distance in each game, not getting pulled. He has been the backbone for the Blues all season, and it has been very prevalent in the playoffs.
Come alive in the lights
Now, the series heads to a best-of-one. One game will decide who will be sitting at home until September and who will face the Dallas Stars in the second round. This is where Binnington comes alive, and this will further confirm that he has been the most valuable player on both sides.
The case can be made for Blues defenseman Cam Fowler, who leads the series in points, or even Robert Thomas and his impressive eight point performance thus far. But, it is Binnington who has set the standard for this series, and he has stood tall above all skaters and won the goaltender battle regardless of game seven's result.