Blues Goalie Silences Haters in 4 Nations Finale

The starting goalie for the St. Louis Blues answered recent criticisms with a stellar performance.

Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matt Boldy (12) crashes into the net of Team Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) as forward Brayden Point (21) and defenseman Devon Toews (5) defend against a shot during the third period during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Entering the final game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, there were multiple calls for Canada to bench St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. The veteran netminder started all three round-robin games for Canada, but the confidence in the former Stanley Cup winner was low. Most game predictions pointed to Binnington as a major reason for picking the United States to win. Some analysts even recommended turning to Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill in the winner-take-all contest.

In response, Binnington was the best player for Canada in the gold medal game. Canada tackled the United States in their rematch, winning 3-2 in overtime.

It was a game they could not win without Binnington's stellar play. He stopped 31 of 33 shots against him, including 20 straight over the final 35 minutes of action. The United States threw everything at the goalie. Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews had two premium scoring chances against him in overtime, and Binnington shut the door. Connor McDavid scored the game-winner in overtime, and Nathan MacKinnon was named the tournament MVP, but Binnington silenced his haters in the finals.

Binnington's faced criticism since the Blues won the Cup in 2019; some of it is deserved. He's won 30 games once in the five seasons since, and he's on pace to finish below that mark again in 2025. He and the Blues have failed to live up to that same success over the past six years

The good news for Binnington is that he reached that 2019 level at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Now, he hopes to carry this over during the remaining Blues schedule.

St. Louis is 25-26-5 with 26 games left in the season. Still, they can climb the Western Conference standings and steal a Wild Card spot. They are eight points back, but if Binnington can play like he did in the 4 Nations final, the Blues have an excellent chance of gaining those points back.

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