Jordan Binnington pulled as Blues lose to Ducks, 4-1

Matthew DeFranks, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Dec 1, 2025

Published in Hockey

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ST. LOUIS — The three-game win streak will have to wait.

The St. Louis Blues had a chance to string together three consecutive wins for the first time this season, but lost 4-1 to the Anaheim Ducks Monday at Enterprise Center.

Jordan Binnington was removed about midway through the first period after giving up two goals, and Joel Hofer came on in relief. Jordan Kyrou scored for the Blues, while Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, Leo Carlsson and Chris Kreider (empty-net) scored for the Ducks.

The Blues power play went 0 for 6 Monday night.

It was just the second time in the last eight games that the Blues lost in regulation, and they will open a three-game road trip on Thursday in Boston.

Binnington pulled

After allowing two goals on five shots, Binnington was pulled 10:24 into the first period. On Fanduel Sports Network Midwest, Blues coach Jim Montgomery was shown muttering a profane message to himself in disbelief of the quality (or lack thereof) of goals that Binnington allowed.

As Binnington made his way towards the Blues bench and down the tunnel, he exchanged words with Montgomery behind the bench. For the final 9:36 of the first period, Binnington did not return to the St. Louis bench. He rejoined his teammates on the bench for the start of the second period.

Binnington allowed McTavish to beat him on a shot from the boards at 6:33 of the first period. The prayer snuck through Binnington on the short side and gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead. After Kyrou tied the game at 1 just 20 seconds later, the Ducks took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission on Mintyukov’s goal.

The Mintyukov goal came just 10 seconds after a Blues power play as he beat Binnington on the rush with a shot from the right wing that sailed past his blocker. It was the second time this season that Binnington was pulled from a game, and first since Nov. 5 in Washington, where he allowed four goals on 15 shots in 29:28 of ice time.

Hofer stopped all five shots he faced in the first period, and then followed that up by making 12 saves in the second period. That included a mad scramble towards the end of the second period, a 1:09 stretch when Anaheim had eight shot attempts, three of them on goal.

It was a mild surprise that Hofer didn’t receive the start himself on Monday night after he shut out Utah by making 18 saves on Saturday night.

Familiar connection

Kyrou’s goal at 6:53 of the first period tied the game at 1 and was his second goal in the last three games after he was goalless in the previous six games. Philip Broberg set up the play by transporting the puck into the offensive zone, and Jake Neighbours stalled the puck long enough above the circle to allow Rober Thomas to pick it free.

Thomas cut to the middle of the ice, avoided a check by Leo Carlsson, then slid a backhand pass around Jacob Trouba and Olen Zellweger to Kyrou’s waiting stick on the backdoor. The assist gave Thomas a helper in each of the last three games, and a point in each of the last four contests.

Of Kyrou’s 158 career goals, 48 of them have been assisted by Thomas, either in a primary or secondary fashion.

The Blues had perhaps their best chance of the evening to tie the game in the second period, when Dalibor Dvorsky was set up with an open net on the rush, but his shot sailed wide.

Flight delay

Forward Aleksanteri Kaskimaki was supposed to be in the lineup on Monday night following his recall from the AHL, but his travel to St. Louis was delayed and he wasn’t able to make it to Enterprise Center in time for what would have been his NHL debut.

Instead, the Blues dressed Tyler Tucker. In the first two periods, Tucker had just three shifts: one as a forward at even-strength and two as a defenseman on the penalty kill.

Kaskimaki’s recall was made necessary with Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist surgery, out six weeks), Alexey Toropchenkk (burns on legs, week to week) and Pius Suter (lower-body, day to day) out of the Blues lineup.

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