Juraj Mikus scored, and so did some mortals, as the Manchester Monarchs beat Hartford 7-1 tonight. Actually, it’s a tribute to Manchester, to be playing this well given all the players losses of late. Kevin Westgarth had two goals, and Geoff Walker, Viatcheslav Voynov, Marc-Andre Cliche and Alec Martinez each had one. Gabe Gauthier had three assists and Voynov, Oscar Moller and Joe Piskula each had two.
Jonathan Bernier stopped 19 of 20 shots. Bernier has allowed two or fewer goals in eight of his last nine starts.
Manchester hosts Worcester on Saturday.
What happened to Trevor Lewis???
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“Juraj Mikus scored, and so did some mortals”
To funny Rich! The Legend lives on!
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I believe Lewis is injured. Right?
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Yes, Lewis caught the upper-body disease a couple weeks back…
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20 shots! Hartford didn’t have a chance. Bernier is on fire!
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LOL Rich, and it appears to be a contagious little beast.
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*cough Bernier.
I used to be a strong proponent of letting him develop properly. But come on… how much do you have to dominate to warrant a shot?
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I’m perfectly ok with Bernier leading Manchester to the Calder Cup (that’s right isn’t it?) and being the playoff MVP.
The investment made now will pay huge dividends down the road.
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Bernier is playing great, but I don’t advocate bringing him up this year. For one, he will lose a lot of playing time/development opportunity as Quick’s backup, and also, he is only 19 – let’s give him time to truly hone his talents and gain maturity.
Kings17, yes, that’s right.
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Me-Koosh! Me-Koosh!
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I almost fell over with the line ‘Mikus scores and so do some mortals’.
The most indepth coverage and great humor.
Thanks, Rich.
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i agree… let bernier develop and gain confidence leading the monarchs to the playoffs!! quick seems to be getting better each game.
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I think it’s hilarious that this whole You Eye Me Koosh phenomenon has legs. It’s weirdly legit now that it’s traveled over to the Kings official site. I’m almost afraid he’ll see these comments and not understand. I don’t know if I understand.
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The goaltending situation between Quick and Bernier is becoming more and more interesting. Bernier is the apparent future and is playing like a beast in Manchester and has been all year. Quick has a new 3 year deal, is the starter, and has been looking good doing it since he has taken the reigns (stop your “bad goals” blabber, the guy is solid).
I am interested to see how this all plays out in the next year. Bernier (I would assume) hopes to be the long term starter of the future while Quick has been nothing but solid since he has been appointed the # 1 tender. It is quite obvious Bernier is a better option than Ersberg as the back up but Bernier is better off playing every night in Manchester.
Lombardi has a nice problem on his hands. Trade Bernier? trade Quick? Platoon? Keep both? At this point it’s hard to see how Bernier gets worked in with Quick playing like he is and Ersberg signed through next year.
What to do??
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I would think they might go into a Minnesota type deal next year where both goalies will play 40ish games each.
But yes, let Bernier stay down and become a goalie who leads his team into the playoffs and deep into it. That kind of experience would him a world of good.
As for the big club, I just hope we can get a rental back up veteran goalie for quick for the rest of the year so we don’t burn him out come playoffs.
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It should also be noted that this tear was against one of the top goalie prospects in the league, Enroth
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re Quick/Bernier:
Jones is done with juniors after this year, so he’s likely headed to Manchester. I would say definitely, but you never know. That means that it’s going to be Jones and Zatkoff, with literally no room for Bernier. So Bernier is moving up.
Quick has a three year deal, it’s true. That deal gives Lombardi flexibility more than it gives Quick security as the starter here. If the Kings win a round or two on Quick’s back in this year’s playoffs, it would be very hard to turn around and platoon Bernier and Quick in 2010, to say nothing of trading Quick and going with Bernier, who after all has next to zero experience in the NHL. Which I guess means that, if Quick earns it this year, and I mean really earns it (not just in that LaBarbera “he’s my starter — what, oops you suck and got traded” sense) Lombardi is going to have to make a decision between promoting Bernier as the back-up and trading Ersberg, or trading Bernier. I think he’ll choose letting Bernier be the back-up for awhile. There’s no shame in that, if you’re Bernier; and we know Lombardi likes his goalies to pay their dues. That ought to include coming in as the back-up, getting your feet wet slowly.
And if he wants to be Ken Dryden 1971, and comes in and refuses to lose any games, then maybe Quick becomes Rogie and gets dealt to LA. Wait, we are LA.
I don’t think there will be any goalies shipped out any time soon, unless it’s Ersberg, and I think he’s definitely going to get moved by training camp at the latest. The question I have is, will Ersberg last the rest of the season. If the Kings are on fire (we should be so lucky), is Lombardi really going to want to go into the playoffs with a back-up who has won one game in a year and a half? Maybe he makes a low-key trade for a wily back-up guy. Maybe Bernier comes up after the Olympic break to get in some games.
Certainly, if there are any inj****s, Bernier will get recalled. And who knows what happens from there. I’m looking forward to it either way.
And in any case, the issue doesn’t necessarily need to come to a head until Quick is due for a new contract. Until then, they’re two affordable guys. After that, it would be unworkable.
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Deadpans-Why is it a story when Mikus scores?
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Who cares about Bernier, how about big Westgarth with the 2 goals. Lets bring him up here…and get rid of the offensive zone penalty juggernaut Ivanans
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“Juraj Mikus scored, and so did some mortals…”
haha great line there Rich! I love the humor.
Also I like seeing that Westgarth had 2 goals!
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Just put this Mikus guy’s name on the Cup already!
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Speaking of the Cup… If LA wins it all, does Heidi get her name on the Cup? If she doesn’t, then I will tattoo her initials on my butt.
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bernier is not 19 he is 21 and doing great down there in manchester let him play there and toughin get developed into his potential and then challenge Quick.
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OT– in the ex-Kings doing well department: ex-Kings Camalleri and Moulson each with recent hat tricks. However, they play for teams currently below the Kings in the league standings (Kings-36 points; Montreal-28; Islanders 29).
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Quisp,
An injury to Quick would change everything Quickly (pun intended).
It’s likely barring any injury scenarios with the goaltenders, Bernier will start as the back-up in L.A. next year. TM is a hockey traditionalist who likes the idea of a number one goalie getting most of the playing time. Bernier will have to earn his shot by playing well when called upon by TM.
Z and Jones (not Catherine Zeta Jones) will be the guys in Manchester next season with Ersberg moved for a low pick. Right now Ersberg is an insurance policy who doesn’t have to play to pay and won’t get moved until DL is satisfied that Bernier is ready and everyone is healthy by the end of training camp next season.
The Kings are loaded with talented young goalies and pretty deep in D-men in the organization. We have centers on the way (Schenn and Loktionov). We still need speed, scoring, and more grit at left wing. Look for that to be what Dl works on next in trades and in the next draft at Staples Center!
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Darling (Ont) 6 6 .912 sv%;
Zacharias (Ont) 2 4 .886sv%;
Bernier 11 6 .948 sv%;
Zatkoff 5 2 .938sv%;
Quick 16 9 .900sv%;
Wow! all goalies and prospects except one have a save percentage of at least 90%. Not bad since the last somewhat decent goalie we had was Kelly Hrudy.
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JP…If you look closely MiKus already has his name on the cup, over a thousand times.
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I usually try to not get into trade rumors, but Biron will probably be available later this month when DiPietro come back. He could solve our need for a veteran back-up with playoff experience.
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Rich-
All you had to do was say ‘Mikus Scores’. The rest would have been obvious.
Besides, aren’t we ALL ‘Winners’ for having Mikus on our team? Sorry, that should have not been posted in the form of a question as it is fact.
Wake up people. Juraj Mikus makes Rocket Richard look like Pavel Rosa.
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Sorry to disagree with those saying Bernier will be the backup next season. It is definitely not decided and won’t be until training camp. All things being the same then as now, Quick will get some points for being the incumbent, but if he’s clearly outplayed by Bernier, he’ll no longer be #1.
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“Certainly, if there are any inj****s, Bernier will get recalled. And who knows what happens from there.”
Lot’s of scenarios, but one thing we DO know for certain per TM is, no one (Quick) will loose their job to an injury. (which, by the way, brings up a good question about Scuderi Rich…)
I’m beginning to get a strong feeling that Bernier is like the hidden prize behind the door and Quick is the prize we already have.
“Well Kings fans, you can keep the Quick and walk away OR you can give up the Quick and take what’s behind Door #1! What’s it going to be?”
Tough decision if it comes down to it.
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What I said was, if Quick wins a couple of playoff series standing on his head, it would be hard to say, “yeah but Bernier played better than he did in camp 2010 so we’ll just have to see who our starter is.” Same is true the other way. If Bernier gets called up for a couple of games and forgets to lose, he will stay in and it will be hard to say, “yeah but Quick is still our #1.”
Ersberg is gone by 10-1. There is no “wait and see” with Bernier. He’s coming up in the fall, barring unforeseen circumstances. (unless you think Lombardi is going to store Jones in Ontario just to keep Bernier in Manchester, which would be cockamamie.)
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Who ever thought the Kings would be troubled by having too many good goalies? Bernier will get a shot at being the starter for a period of time, either this year or next. It has to happen. The Kings need to find out what he can do at the NHL level before his current contract is up.
Speaking on impending RFA status, let’s get Westgarth onto a plane to LA for cripsakes.
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IStillBelieve -
That “offensive zone penalty juggernaut” Ivanans only has 4 minor penalties all year. Hardly a blip on the screen when it comes to putting us a man down. I don’t get where you come up with this stuff….
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I liked Kelly Hrudey a LOT. He was a swimmer, and that’s what the Kings needed to win 7-5. HOWEVER, he was NOT the “last somewhat decent goalie” the Kings had. Fiset and Potvin were both better.
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Not mentioned was Clune getting into two scraps…
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With Quick as the Kings starter, there’s no need to call up Bernier. Quick is getting the job done, so let Bernier play another season or two in the minors. By that time, we will all know whether Quick is the real deal. No rush to bring up Berns
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Oddly enough – the Marlies have a Juraj Mikus, too.
It was a good game for the Monarchs last night, and a bad one for Valiquette (who did a wicked good Cloutier impression).
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Incredible ceremony in Montreal. Some big names there including Larry Robinson.
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Ask Cory Schneider how much you have to dominate the AHL before you get a shot, or Jason Labs
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Sure Quick is playing amazingly RIGHT NOW. Let’s not forget this guy was letting in at least one or two weak goals a game, no more than a few weeks ago. Quick hasn’t really proven anything, other than he can get on a hot streak, just like any other goalie. You can bet DL, isn’t going to rest until he is sure that he has at least 2 number 1 goalies pushing each other in the Kings org. Just look at his history with SJ.
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it made me smile when i saw the 7-1 score on NHL network this AM.
All i want to say about Moulson is good for him
and UGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! i have a nice low #’d rookie card of his, it might go up to $8-9 bucks 
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Skebo, it’s not unusual to start the season without your “A” game. It’s really the norm. The hatred for Quick baffles me.
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The Quick vs Bernier battle will be interesting for the next few years. First off, no chance either of these guys gets traded until one solidifies a spot, i.e. has proven themselves for a couple of seasons.
I think you leave Bernier down in Manchester until the last 20 games or so of the season and if he’s hot and Quick is not you bring him up. How many times have we seen a team ride a goalie deep into the playoff’s.
2011 is a long ways away, don’t waste an opportunity when you have a hot goalie!
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Kenneth,
I agree. One day everyone’s like
“OH MY GOD QUICKER, FUTURE OF THE KINGS RIGHT THERE!”
and the next,
“GEEZ! BRING UP BERNIER FOR NUMBER ONE!”
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Also nice to see Alec Martinez back and skating. He has an absolute cannon for a shot and we can only hope he continues to improve and “steadify”.
His confidence could have been hurt after his shaky performance at the start of the year.
I wish him the best!
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Hey Rich,
I know the Kings are set as far as centers are concerned but what’s the deal with Gabe Gauthier, the local guy? Seems like he’s been a lifer in Manchester. He’s a pretty good player but what’s the story with him and the big club?
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