Heroes & Zeros

There weren't many good things to recognize in this game, but I'd be neglectful if I didn't mention what Parayko did. With his goal in the third period, he set a career high for goals in a single season at 11. He's been excellent this year on both ends of the ice and seeing him excel in an area that has never been a strength has been great to see. Hopefully he continues with his shoot first mindset and keeps producing at a high level to finish out this season and into the next.

Binnington continues to be an incredibly inconsistent goalkeeper, and this was one of the ones he'd like to forget. Binner allowed 3 goals in the first 30 minutes of the game, and was pulled from the game for just the second time this season. Given the stakes, I can't blame Monty for the choice.

Saad has been a pillar of consistency for the Blues since signing him for the 2021-2022 season. However this year has not been the same, as he's only been able to score in 3 games so far this year. Admittedly, all three of those were multi goal performances, but that speaks to his unforgivable inconsistency this season despite being given ample opportunity on top lines. I still think Saad is a good player who puts in the effort, but at a certain point you have to start scoring consistently and he hasn't been able to do that.

Jake Neighbours has been a fan favorite on the team for a couple of years and after last season, he seemed poised for another great breakout year. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened and he frequently tends to disappear in games when his play making ability is desperately needed. If Jake Neighbours wants to be the Blues next star, he needs to find ways to score.