Needless to say, the St. Louis Blues had some goaltending issues on Wednesday night.
First, starting netminder Jordan Binnington allowed seven goals against the Chicago Blackhawks — not great for a team looking to stay in the hunt for a Western Conference wild-card spot.
Then, when head coach Jim Montgomery tried to pull Binnington from the game, backup netminder Joel Hofer was nowhere to be found.
Later, the broadcast would show the 25-year-old sitting behind a wall, away from the team.
This, of course, led to speculation that Hofer was hiding intentionally to avoid facing the onslaught from the Blackhawks.
Of course, however, the real explanation appears to be much less juicy. Like some NHL arenas, space in the bench arena at the United Center can be scarce, which can force backup goaltenders to watch the game away from their team, including sometimes in the visitors’ locker room.
Regardless, Binnington was forced to play the final seven minutes and did not surrender another goal.
Recently named to Canada’s Olympic roster, Binnington has a .871 save percentage in 26 games this season.
