Blues’ Jordan Binnington throws water bottle at Avalanche center Nazem Kadri during interview: report

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington threw a water bottle at Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri during a postgame interview Saturday following the Avalanche’s 5-2 win, according to multiple reports.

Kadri collided with Binnington, the team’s starting goalie, early in the first period of Game 3 when Kadri and Blues defenseman Calle Rosen crashed into the net while battling for a loose puck. 

Binnington remained down after the collision, and he later left the game.

The goalie was replaced by backup Ville Husso, who gave up four goals on 23 shots, a huge setback for a Blues squad now down 2-1 in the series. 

Kadri was talking about the collision during a postgame interview when he briefly paused and did a double-take, suggesting Binnington may have thrown a water bottle at him. 

“Just tried to poke the puck free, I think their weak side defenseman came over and kind of bumped me and that’s what caused the collision. So, I hope he’s all right,” Kadri said.

“Not sure if he just threw a water bottle at me or not,” he added. “But, I mean, not much I can do, man … I’m just going for the loose puck.”

The Athletic reported that Binnington did throw the water bottle. 

After the game, Blues head coach Craig Berube said Binnington was being evaluated for a lower-body injury. The team announced Sunday that Binnington will miss the rest of the second-round series.

Berube addressed Kadri’s role in the collision. 

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“Look at Kadri’s reputation. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Berube told reporters. 

When asked about Berube’s comment, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said reputation “doesn’t mean anything.”

“It’s either a legal play or it’s not. We’ve talked about this with Naz and the way he’s trying to change his reputation, making sure that he’s playing through checks,” Bednar said. “That’s a legal play, and it’s unfortunate.”

The series resumes with Game 4 Monday night in St. Louis.