On Sunday night, the St. Louis Blues were in Anaheim to take on the Ducks in what was a very important game for them if they wanted to remain in the hunt for a wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Just over halfway through the second period, Anaheim Ducks forward Ross Johnston high-sticked St. Louis Blues defenceman Tyler Tucker. With Tucker down on the ice and the play coming to an end, the Blues thought that Johnston hit him, causing an injury. On the replay however, it's tough to tell if Johnston catches Tucker with his stick or an elbow.
In response to the high-stick, a scrum ensued right in front of the St. Louis Blues' net and Jordan Binnington decided to jump, grabbing at Johnston's face with his glove on.
Once cooler heads prevailed, the Blues still ended up on the powerplay, with Ross Johnston given a four-minute minor for high-sticking, while Jordan Binnington was also assessed a penalty for his role in the scrum - a two-minute minor for roughing.
Coming into the night, the Blues needed to win to keep their hopes of a playoff spot alive, but even with a victory, it would be tough for them to find a way to surpass teams like Nashville and Vegas, who occupy the final two wild card positions in the Western Conference.
With the playoffs likely out of reach for the Blues, a number of their players will likely turn their attention to representing their country at the 2024 IIHF World Hockey Championship, potentially even Jordan Binnington. For Canada and the United States especially, they're going to use this tournament as a showcase to see who could be on their roster for the Four Nations Faceoff in February 2025. Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong will be apart of the management group for the next several international events and will more than likely encourage Jordan Binnington to travel to Czechia next month for the World Championship.
POLL | ||
Should Jordan Binnington be on Canada's roster for the Four Nations Faceoff next year? | ||
Yes | 65 | 39.2 % |
No | 101 | 60.8 % |
List of polls |