2022 Stanley Cup playoffs - St. Louis Blues manage anger, keep faith after Jordan Binnington injury

St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn didn't want to talk about Nazem Kadri.

He didn't want to talk about Blues goalie Jordan Binnington's collision with the Colorado Avalanche center that forced him out of Saturday's Game 3, and eventually the entire series, with a lower-body injury. About the conjecture that followed the incident regarding Kadri's alleged intent in driving the net, with coach Craig Berube referencing «Kadri's reputation» in assessing the incident.

«We're here to win the series. That's what it boils down to,» said Schenn, whose team lost Game 3 and now trails the Avalanche 2-1 in their Stanley Cup playoffs second-round series. «You don't focus on just him. Going out there and winning a hockey game, that's all you can really control.»

Kadri wasn't penalized by the on-ice officials or by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for Binnington's injury. But it's hard to bury those emotions, given what happened to Binnington and given Kadri's history with the Blues — having been suspended eight games last postseason for a hit to the head that took out defenseman Justin Faulk.

Schenn didn't want to talk about it, but he couldn't help himself when asked about how Kadri defended his actions. «He said he got pushed in. [But] he's behind our guy. So I don't know how that makes sense,» he said. «But we'll move on.»

Moving on means channeling those emotions the right way for Game 4 on Monday night in St. Louis.

«It's a tough loss. We're not going to sugarcoat,» defenseman Robert Bortuzzo said. «But we're not going to misplace our energy here. We're trying to win the series.»

Processing emotions is what the Blues did better than any other team during their 2019 Stanley Cup championship win. Their uncanny ability to