The St. Louis Blues are coming off a week that had more lows than highs. They went 1-1-1 for the week as they wrapped up a four-game homestand. There were history-making appearances, NHL debuts, and high-scoring affairs mixed into the events of the past week. As we start the new week, it is time once again to identify the Blues’ standout players from the past week.
Standout #3 – Hunter Skinner
Hunter Skinner made his NHL debut on Friday. It was a special night for Skinner, whose parents were in attendance to see their son’s debut. Skinner’s dad was emotional watching his son take the ice in an NHL game.
It was a special night for the Skinner family, but that is not why the young defenseman is on this list. The Blues’ bottom defensive pair has struggled this season, providing the team with little stability. Skinner played a relatively good game on the bottom pair. He only played 10:45, but did record four hits and a blocked shot. It was nothing spectacular, but Skinner had a positive impact on the ice. It will be interesting to see what he does when he next plays.
Standout #2 – Jimmy Snuggerud
The 21-year-old had a relatively good week. It was not all good, as he did whiff on a shootout attempt on Friday, but Jimmy Snuggerud was certainly an offensive spark for the Blues. He was left off the score sheet on Tuesday, but he did register three shots on goal.
Friday night, Snuggerud scored the Blues’ second goal of the game, following a great pass by Robert Thomas. Snuggerud returned the favor in the third period, taking the puck behind the net and feeding Thomas, who scored a goal himself. On Saturday, when the Blues were having trouble generating offense against the Vegas Golden Knights, Snuggerud helped the Blues break through, picking up an assist on Philip Broberg’s goal.
Snuggerud was a points machine in college. The Blues are hoping to see that themselves and then some at the NHL level. The Minnesota native had a strong week, recording four points in three games, and has 11 points in 19 games overall.
Standout #1 – Jordan Binnington
No, Jordan Binnington still does not look nervous. It was a historic week for him. On Tuesday, Binnington played in his 348th game for the Blues, passing Mike Liut for the most in franchise history. Furthermore, Binnington was a brick wall for the team in its win against the Calgary Flames, stopping 37 of 40 shots.
Related: Jordan Binnington May Already Be the Blues’ Best Goaltender of All-Time
Binnington’s other start came on Friday. To the naked eye, it was not nearly as good on Tuesday. He gave up five goals on 31 shots, but not all the goals allowed were directly his fault. The team in front of him had some poor turnovers, which led to quality scoring chances for the Philadelphia Flyers.
However, Binnington kept the Blues in the game. His best moment came in overtime. Flyers’ forward Trevor Zegras was awarded a penalty shot. Zegras, who has a 66.7% success rate in shootouts (which, of course, is similar to a penalty shot), was stopped by Binnington to keep the game alive. Once again, the 2019 Stanley Cup Champion performed in a big way for his team.
The Week Ahead
The Blues go on the road for a five-game trip. It may be nice for the team to get away from the home routine. The Blues will play three games this coming week. It will start on Tuesday, as they will travel to Ontario and battle the Toronto Maple Leafs.
