Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire. “
Among my favorite albums is ” Breakfast in America ” by Supertramp.
Probably because I was 18 when it was released, I always have a flashback every time I hear one of the tracks.
My favorite, ” Take The Long Way Home “.
I had that tune in my head recently when I saw Jordan Binnington get his first NHL start for the St Louis Blues and promptly shut out the Flyers 3-0 last week.
Binnington went on to win his next 2 starts and was the NH:’s 2nd tar of the Week this week.
We all remember Jordan Binnington’s days with the Owen Sound Attack, the 2011 Championship Game at Mississauga, the Goalie of the Year season in 2013.
After Owen Sound, it was the ” long road ” for Binnington.
He played in more than 200 games over 6 years for Peoria, Chicago, Kalamazoo, Providence & San Antonio, but I assumed he dressed for and backed up for a lot more.
Sure, he made it to the NHL and saw game action…..3 times as a reliever, but it was always back down time after time.
As Supertramp says, ” When you’re up on the stage ( ie the NHL ) it’s so unbelievable, unforgettable……….” but the minors hold no such lustre.
Still Jordan Binnington was able to keep plugging away until a miserable season for the Blues combined with some goalie injury woes, gave him an NHL start.
And with that start he made 25 saves for the shutout, or put another way, he made the most of the opportunity………
There’s a lesson in there somewhere about perseverance, and the soundtrack for that moral is Supertramp & The Long Way Home.
I’m Fred Wallace