McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Nov. 16 – Jordan Binnington vs. Arvid Soderblom
Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Wed. Nov. 16, 2022:Binnington has been red hot in goal for the St. Louis Blues. And Chicago Blackhawks rookie backstop Arvid Soderblom – despite a limited sample size – has looked every bit the part of an NHL goaltender.Binnington has been in full battle mode for the Blues. The 2019 Stanley Cup winning netminder has won his last three starts and posted a .938 save percentage over that span.
I think Binnington has been solid recently with his reads and movements. But at his core, Binnington will always be a goalie whose focus is paramount. When he’s locked in and tracking the puck well, Binnington can be one of the best.Last year I spoke with someone that had seen a lot of Soderblom. “Watch out,” is what I was told. And that was meant in a good way. Soderblom went undrafted but has blossomed in the Blackhawks organization.
Soderblom is very active thanks to his explosive footwork. And he’ll occasionally venture outside the blue paint. I’m curious to see if that stylistic tendency remains as his career progresses. The NHL is a faster league than the AHL and it’s not easy to keep up with the pace of play.St. Louis has been hot and Binnington has played a huge role. Start him. And I like Soderblom against St. Louis. Even though the Blues have been winning, goals have been hard to come by.