Jordan Binnington on recent antics: 'I'm not here to waste my f---ing time every game'

Regardless of how many hockey fans see Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, it's clear he sees himself differently. The goaltender sat and discussed his recent antics with The Athletic, and said frustration has been a major factor as the Blues sit in sixth place in the Central Division.

"I feel good," said Binnington. "I'm just trying to stay focused and clear the mind a little bit. I think sometimes when things aren't going well as a group, you kind of let that sink into your game. I'm definitely frustrated. I'm not here to waste my time. I want to win every game, and it's definitely frustrating when you feel like but it is what it is."

Asked to expand on what he feels like, Binnington said "When you're competing and playing hard and you hate to lose and you're not winning, you know, it's frustrating. It kind of builds up over time."

As for why he seems to lose his head so often, Binnington said it's no secret he hates losing.

"Sometimes I'm going to show emotion," Binnington said. "I hate to lose. Yeah, we're all working. We're all trying to build. Again, it's just frustrating that it takes this long to get there. It's a team sport, and you try to pick guys up. You try to lead. You try to find different ways to lead."

Binnington did address a recent hit he put on Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, calling it "instinct".

"I thought it was a clean body — shoulder to chest, stick on puck. I want the emotion. I want the energy. I want us to play hard, be tough to play against and play aggressive. There's a message."

As for two night's later when he got his glove into the face of Jason Zucker of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Binnington seemed to blame Zucker for his actions.

"The Zucker thing, I didn't even know I was hitting him in the head. I was trying to create space. What pissed me off about that is, he goes into the boards and stays down, and he's fine. There was nothing to it."

As for the jaw-jacking with Zucker on his way to the bench, Binnington said he was just trying to let the guy know what he thought of his game.

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