It was an optional skate this morning, basically for last night’s fourth-line players and healthy scratches. Afterward, Terry Murray said he didn’t expect any lineup changes for Wednesday’s game.
One area of note…Murray said Jonathan Quick will start both games of the back-to-back set. More from practice to come…
wow no line changes!!!so i had to say it….that was easy!!!!
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Why? Quick has been ok not great, so we are going to put him in back to backs.
I love my boys, but the 2 constant issues I see is piss poor skating/lack of speed and not using your backup goalie at all. The Kings have not been in the playoffs for so long, I think they have forgotten how many games it takes to win the cup. Add in the emotion and it seems like 2 times as many.
This is not just about giving Quick a break, but also about giving EZ-E some games before he gets put in; in the 3rd period of a game 7.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:24 pm
@WTF,
EE will not be starting another game once the playoffs start. Do you honestly think if he got this game, he’ll be good for a game 7 3rd period?
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WTF Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
@nykingfan, You can predict the future? I have seen goalies a million times better then him get pulled and or sit a game in the playoffs. Even if he was the best in the world everyone has a period/game/week/month. Difference is in the playoffs you can not let your golaie play through it. It is win or go home. Just look at Marty in the Olympics as a recent example, is he better then him?
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WTF Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:32 pm
@WTF, Hit send to soon, but I do think if you sit him for 30 games and put him in a pressure situaion, you just sprinkled alot of fail on a hope cupcake.
nykingfan Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:17 pm
@WTF,
And if it ever got to that point, IN MY OPINION it would be Bernier.
Unbelievable after all this time you never realized that everyone posting on here is just giving their opinions and it’s not necessary to write that its just an opinion!
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:36 pm
@WTF, Quick doesn’t need a break. He needs to play frequently. That seems to have been established.
That said, I’d sure like Ersberg to at least get a shot in the occasional back-to-back situation.
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Speaking of Quick, any word on his face getting smashed? Sounds like he’s fine, but he did get bloodied a bit.
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ersberg should get one of the starts…im not a fan of his…but he really should get a start soon
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tantrum4 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:28 pm
@josh e.,
Why? We haven’t made the playoffs yet. No point in starting your worst goalie unitl we have.
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bmova Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:38 pm
@tantrum4, Ersberg has played quite decently the last few games in which he’s started…he just hasn’t had any offensive help to show for it.
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I agree, Quick had not been that great since the Olympic break. I think Ersberg should get one of the back to back starts if not this week, then next week.
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Again, I don’t understand the thought of why EE should be getting a start. This is Quick’s season. We’re going to live or die with him. So far it’s been pretty good. These games are still crucial, it’s no time to mess with an ice cold goalie.
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tantrum4 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
@nykingfan,
I agree. Who would you rather start until we have locked up a playoff spot..the goalie tied for the most wins in the NHL, or…Eric Ersberg?
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raunq12 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@tantrum4,
I concur tantrum and nykingfan!
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bmova Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
@raunq12, You start Ersberg b/c you don’t want to run the risk of Quick getting injured from starting too many games.
nykingfan Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:22 pm
bmova
They can’t think that way. He can get hurt tomorrow, so should they sit him tomorrow? There’s no such thing as a risk-free game. Any one of the 82 he can get hurt during.
David Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:53 pm
@bmova,
I would agree with you IF we were already locked for a playoff spot.
This is ridiculous… Ersberg should play a couple more times. At least let him start a game. If he’s not up to the task, put in Quick.
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RealDrew Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:33 pm
@King John,
Why? I don’t want to see Ersberg play another game for the kings this year unless it’s in garbage time. EE is a roster filler. If Quick goes down, it’s JB’s team. I wish EE the best of luck in future endeavors, but he should only play in blowouts or meaningless games.
I’m not convinced that a rested Quick is a better Quick. He had a few weeks off for the olympics and he didn’t look that great in his first couple games back.
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Seattle757 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:41 pm
@RealDrew, JB’s team? Please get off his bandwagon.
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RealDrew Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:01 pm
@Seattle757,
Off his bandwagon? I didn’t realize there was a bandwagon. I’m just stating my opinion.
Bernier is a better player than EE. If Quick goes down before the kings are done playing this year JB will be the starting goaltender.
Lanny McDonald's 'Stache Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
@Seattle757, You’re misguided here. RealDrew is absolutely correct in his assessment.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:38 pm
@Seattle757, I’ve got to say, JB will be up in a flash if Quick goes down. That’s simply fact.
David Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
@WTF ken,
Well obviously they will call him up since they would only have one goaltender on the roster!
tantrum4 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
@King John,
Why?
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I say roll with quicker. He’s proven this year that he doesn’t play well coming out of a break. He’s young, he can handle it.
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Quick is on the Grant Fuhr program, he’s going to play until he finds his A game. He’s big, he’s strong, and he thinks the game from a team perspective, unusual from the stand point of more typical goalie “soloist” mentality. Quick is more like a regular skater than a goalie according to everything his coaches say about him.
The Kings can’t play Ersberg. It’s too late to try and get him a start; it’s too risky. The Kings can’t concede anything this time of year. They have to play the guy that has got them this far.
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Ersberg? Who’s Ersberg? We have a backup goalie?
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Clune needs to play more
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bmova Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:47 pm
@Scott Pearson, Why?
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What is up with not playing Ersberg? Quick may love playing a lot, but the season is 82 games long, not 28 games and don’t forget the playoffs.
Also, please enough with this is Bernier’s team if Quick gets hurt. When he starts playing regularly in the NHL maybe, but right now he is an AHL player.
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Lanny McDonald's 'Stache Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:05 pm
@Seattle757, The Kings coaching staff (and many others) would tend to disagree with that. See – Quick’s baby being born.
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SoftDumpnChase Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:28 pm
@Seattle757, So you prefer starting Ersberg a couple of critical games down the stretch for the sake of him not being Rusty if we need him in the playoff? Doesnt seem like proper logic, more like a “what if” situation. If we are worrying about starting/playing Ersberg in the playoffs then we have bigger problems (like which golf course to play).
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Quick doesn’t have his A game? Maybe not A+, but enough to allow only three goals in the last two games.
The save he made with 10 seconds left against the Isles was technically perfect, shutting down the 7-hole, showing that he’s in it for the full 60 minutes…let’s show a little confidence in the kid and his coach…He’s half Brodeur’s age and Brodeur has more starts than JQ…
1.5 GAA in the past two not good enough for y’all? Geez, have we Kings fans become a spoiled bunch…
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WTF Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:13 pm
@King Homer, 3 goals in 21 shots yesterday. It would have been 4 if someone did not miss a wide open net.
Even when the Kings were allowing the least shots in the league, JQ’s save percentage was piss poor. I am a big fan of his, but let’s not compare him to one of the best goalies ever.
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tantrum4 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:19 pm
@WTF,
Maybe not, but he’s the best we have right now. Why would you want to put someone in that’s even worse than him? I really don’t get what your point is here…
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WTF Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:34 pm
@tantrum4, My point was too not compare him to Brodeur and that he is a servicable above average maybe great one day goalie, but not the next Vezina winner you are making him look like.
Wins are a bunk stat. Goalies are measured in save %, GAA average and shut outs. If a team wins every game 30 to 25, do they have a good golaie?
raunq12 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:23 pm
@WTF,
Two of those goals weren’t really his fault. One was tipped in off of Modin’s stick and the other he was interfered with by Scuderi and Statsny. No goalies in the NHL would have made those saves.
But I agree that we shouldn’t compare JQ with Brodeur; thats just nuts!
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:43 pm
@WTF, You’re kidding, right? One he was interfered with (and it really shouldn’t have counted, but either way, he had no chance on it), and another was on Modin. The middle one was a great shot–not his fault.
He did badly mishandle a puck, and he needs to work that issue out, as it’s been more frequent since the olympic break, but it didn’t cost him a goal. Even when he’s let in a bad goal, he’s typically also stood on his head and made unbelievable saves. Quick simply needs a lot of work to stay fresh, it seems.
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I don’t think that the coaching staff has confidence in Ersberg. A prime example of that is letting Bernier play instead of EE when Quick had to take his leave of absence.
Its sad because I like EE, but these games are far too important to start giving back-up goalies playing time.
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TM is in a tight spot. He cannot afford playing a back up (even JB, whom I predicted to be our new Storr when he arrives). He has to go with what he knows work. JB will not show up until Manchester is done.
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What does Randy Jones have to do to get benched?
I thought he got benched for a couple of shifts after giving up Colo’s second goal but he was right back on giving up another 2 on 1 minutes later — and then was rewarded with ice-time during 4on4 while Fro sat as an observer.
Is it his “compete level”?
This team won despite TM’s poor coaching decisions and looked great (merely needing some 4th line help) just before the trade deadline.
I like the moves at the deadline but not how TM has implemented changes.
Frolov helped get us into the position we’re in and is now being scapegoated and crucified again.
Do the Kings care that a fan favorite and very good player is being exiled by a coach of the moment? We may make the playoffs, but the future damage of losing a good forward, which I don’t see a replacement for, is irreparable.
Did Heidi actually say that when the Kings drafted Kopitar that DL handed him a #11 jersey?
– Now Lombardi is being credited with drafting Kopitar 2 years before he became Kings GM?
Revisionist history at it’s finest.
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VanKingsFan Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
@Cristobal,
I agree with you about Jones. He is the 3rd highest skilled defensemen on offense, and i think thats the ONLY reason he is on.
I DISagree about Frolov. He has NOT been the same player the last few games. He lost his hustle, his passion it looks like. He is doing what he always does! madly inconsistent
“Irreperable” …. honestly … because that means you tihnk losing Frolov in the off season causes so much damage to the team that we can not possibly recover from it …. I have to take SERIOUS issue with this statement.
When he is on… i couldnt agree with you more. And TM gives him 19+ minutes a night … when he is off….. I will leave it at that
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I agree with Quick going back to back. Quick seems to get better with more work and EE is marginal at best.
I think the bigger question is whether the Kings should be worrying about Bernie fininshing out Manchester who have fallen on hard times or playing the 2nd game of the back to back for the Kings. I guess for credibility sake they need to finish Bernie at Manchester, but I’d feel a whole lot better with Bernie backing up Quick in the playoffs.
I gave up feeling bad for hockey players who can’t seem to find a way to crack the line up or get playing time a long time ago. You earn it or you don’t. EE hasn’t and one check of his numbers tells you that.
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It is so weird to compare different mentalities around the league.
Us LA fans feel that games are too important and we have to let Quick play the rest of the games instead of EE.
But here in Vancouver, the talk is all about giving Roberto some rest at the end of the year and giving Raycroft 2 or 3 starts in the last 12 games of the year … and by all accounts, Luongo is better than Jonny Quick.
Just think its interesting to compare schools of thought on the issue
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WTF Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:04 pm
@VanKingsFan, Agreed, every team is giving their goalies a break and getting their back ups some reps prepping for the playoffs. I think people forgot the playoffs are the most draining intense hockey of the year
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raunq12 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:27 pm
@WTF,
Are the Canucks in the same type of playoff race as the Kings, Preds, Avs, and Wings?
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:45 pm
@WTF, those goalies aren’t Quick, who apparently needs the work to play his best.
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@vankingsfan
Sorry, but reply doesn’t work on phone.
Jones is not the 3rd best offensive d man, Harrold is. But, he never gets to play because of the coach. Harrold is also a better defender and passed-from-out-of-the-zone, but he wasn’t picked up by DL and NOT playing DL guys will make the move look poor.
By irreparable I mean he is a talent we cannot replace. We don’t have any depth at forward in the system as skilled as Fro. I disagree that he is loafing or playing poorly. He’s the type of player who plays his position and doesn’t attempt to do the job of his teamates. Thus, he looks to be standing around in his end at times, but if you will notice, he backchecks, defends, and clears the zone better than almost everyone but Kopitar — maybe better.
He knows the coach doesn’t like him yet he’s contributed without complaint all season and was our 3rd leading scorer as recently as the weekend. Has Fro been involved in any shootiuts this year?
TM exiled Boyle last year and now he’s playing a pretty good role as 4th line center for NY in his first full season. We all know what’s happened with Moulson.
I like that TM has implemented a basicly sound system, but every team should be playing a sound system in the NHL. It is, after all, the premiere hockey league in the world. Although, the cap has forced teams to sell off and go young, which equals less talent and less experience on all teams.
Mostly, I’m sick of this insistence on playing Jones and the scapegoating of Fro to get the team to start playing. Afterall, the WHOLE team has been weak lately, mostly due to TM not knowing how to motivate and matchup his players and lines.
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:25 pm
@Cristobal,
Must say that Jones certainly didn’t do much to help me understand part of the lineup last night.
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VanKingsFan Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
@Cristobal,
Shootouts: I have to agree with TM’s decision on this. I have seen Fro get several natural breakaways over the years, and I can’t remember him scoring once… TM even addressed this and said that Fro even struggles during practice a lot with shootouts. And judging by our good record in the shootouts I don’t mind the decisions he has made here.
I dont want to put it all on Fro, but i also don’t think it can be put all on Murrey. In general he has done a fantastic job these last two years, and 90% of the people in the business would agree.
It seems like you are using TM as way too much of a scapegoat for other team problems.
Isn’t it fun to finally complain about the little things wrong on a good team, than all of the major things wrong on a bad team lol
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No line changes expected…probably a good thing, they worked for us last night.
Quick back to back…I love it. I think he does his best with lots of action (as long as he stays in net). Until we clinch a playoff spot, EE needs to stay on the bench.
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