There were plenty of doubt surrounding Jordan Binnington being named to Canada‘s Olympic roster, and even more when he was announced the starter for their first game against Czechia, especially considering Binnington’s performance in the NHL this season. But he reminded the doubters why he helped Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off win last spring with a 26-save shutout against the Czechs.
Has Binnington’s performance against Czechia cemented him as the starter for the medal round of the Olympics? Carter Hutton and Tyler Yaremchuk talked on Daily Faceoff Live about how there’s no doubt Binnington will start down the stretch for Canada.
Carter Hutton: There’s a 100% chance that he is the medal [round starter]. He is the guy. There’s no turning back from it now.
Because of the fact that you got today’s game, it’s going to be a back-to-back, so it’s not a big deal. Then he gets the next one where it’s going to be an easier matchup. I don’t think he’s that busy. He handles the puck well. I keep pumping my own tires about the puck-handling, but it’s such a big factor in a tournament like this.
But for Jordan Binnington, I don’t think there’s any looking back. And the display of confidence that we’ve heard from Jon Cooper and this team when he’s in there just goes to show you that this is not the NHL and the St. Louis Blues in front of him. This is Team Canada, some of the best in the world.
Tyler Yaremchuk: I agree with you. I don’t see a path outside of injury where it’s not Binnington going in the medal round. Even if Logan Thompson plays great tonight, they’re probably going to give Binnington that start against France to keep him fresh. And as much as France pushed Czechia, I don’t think there’s a world where Binnington fails a test against a French team that only has one NHLer on it.
So I think the path is very clear. This is Jordan Binnington’s crease the whole way for Canada.
You can watch the full segment here…
