from Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

But for 60 minutes in about 60 games, Binnington becomes the heel — lofting verbal barbs at opposing benches and physical ones at forwards in his crease, egging on a road crowd in Denver or Pittsburgh or Dallas and energizing a home one at Enterprise Center. He becomes a lightning rod for criticism and an irritant to fans around the league.

The tales are well-told by now.

The near fight with the Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury. The two-game suspension for punching Ryan Hartman with his blocker. The collisions with Jason Zucker and Jordan Staal. The bump of Ilya Sorokin. The water bottle toss at Nazem Kadri. The exit after being pulled against the Sharks. The slash of Jamie Benn and Ben Bishop.

In the spring, Binnington hinted at potentially a different man returning to St. Louis in the fall. He was getting married in July. Four days later, he would turn 30 years old. Following his suspension in March, and within sight of the summer, he told the Post-Dispatch, “You might see a new JB coming at you.”

So as the Blues approach a new season, and Binnington begins his fifth full season as their starting goaltender, does he feel different after passing two of life’s checkpoints?

“I feel a little different,” Binnington said. “I feel calmer and more present, staying in the moment, I would say, whatever that’s from.”

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