The Blues botch a goalie change as Binnington stays in and backup goalie was nowhere to be found

Everything unraveled late in the game, when head coach Jim Montgomery wanted to make a goaltending change.

Jordan Binnington received the signal to come to the bench, in the middle of a lopsided loss that was already turning sour.

Except that, on the footage, Binnington does not seem in any hurry to comply.

And while the bench is gesturing frantically, the issue quickly becomes clear: Joel Hofer is not ready to jump onto the ice.

The result is that Binnington ultimately finished the game. Wow.

What makes it even more fascinating is the figure at the center of the story.

Binnington has a long resume, with 181 wins and 19 shutouts in the NHL. And everyone knows his personality very well. Sometimes, things spill over when a night goes off the rails.

Hofer, meanwhile, finds himself unwillingly part of a moment that will live on across social media. Whether he was delayed, distracted, or simply out of sync, the image of a bench "searching" for its backup goaltender is not something you often see at this level.

It almost looks like he's hiding... Watch the footage here:

After the game, the lack of clear explanations leaves room for questions.

Was it a simple mix-up, or something deeper in the way the game was managed?

One thing is certain: at the next media availability, microphones will be raised quickly-and not just in St. Louis.

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