Jonathan Bernier flew in from Manchester on Monday to join the Kings, and will start tomorrow’s game against Nashville. In an ideal world, the Kings might simply have had Bernier meet the team in Nashville, and save him some miles and sleep, but Terry Murray said Bernier will have to serve as the Kings’ backup goalie tonight because of Erik Ersberg’s strained back. Here’s what Murray said about the goalie plan for the next couple days.
MURRAY: “Tonight, Quick is playing, and he’s our No. 1 goaltender. That’s the reason why he’s going back in. It’s a critical time of the year and it’s important games, obviously, and I want to play my best goaltender. So he’s going in.
“He [Bernier] will be playing in the game in Nashville tomorrow. That’s a decision we made right after the Dallas game. We got a report that Ersberg had strained his back. Our reaction is a process, and it’s a process that we always have to go through with any call-up. It started right after the Dallas game. Ersberg is feeling quite a bit better here today. He was on the ice skating in the morning, but I’ve already made the decision. I have talked to people about him playing in Nashville, and Bernier will backup here tonight and play in the game tomorrow.”
Murray said he was not yet certain whether Bernier would accompany the Kings back to L.A. after Tuesday’s game. Here’s what Murray said about Ersberg’s injury, and how it took place…
MURRAY: “I think it happened in the warmup (Saturday). The warmup begins right after your team meetings. The players go out in the back and kick the soccer ball around, and then you have the pregame warmup. I just get the report, after the game is over, on all the players who participated in the game. It’s a game-to-game report. The medical staff does their job, and then you have to follow through with a process.”
Can’t wait to watch Bernier tomorrow.
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Moondoggie Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
@Rene, Can’t wait to watch the Kings win tonite!
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Sure strange that the kid up from the AHL gets the call over the “#1″ against Nashville and not against the Wild. I’m jus’ sayin.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
@Al,
Probably because of the travel. Bernier got there today. It would be tough flying and playing the same day.
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Matt R Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
@nykingfan,
Good point
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AZ King Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
@Al
Not sure whats strange about it. I think we need something new against NSH. Maybe Bernier in net is what we need to finally get a win against the Preds.
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BluLiner Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
@AZ King,
You nailed it!
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Stop the Puck Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
@AZ King,
he certainly wudnt have let in sullivans goal like quick did
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fsd1 Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
@Stop the Puck, I hope that was just a joke or can you really predict what might have happened if he were in goal?
R.E.M. Murray Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
@Stop the Puck,
I’m still going back to Dumont’s goal when we played them in Nashville. What a disgrace.
Matt R Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
@Al,
I was thinking the same thing. Wouldn’t you normally play your #1 against the better team? Oh well, let’s just win them both and then it won’t be an issue!
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Sean Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
@Matt R,
That depends on the coaching philosophy. Some coaches like to play the first game of a back to back without any acknowledgement of the upcoming game. The idea is that if you back off the first game you may end up losing both of them.
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Cole Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
@Al,
So if they made the decision right after the Dallas game why didnt they fly Bernier to Minny yesterday and have him ready to start tonight?
That way they could go Quick tomorrow in Nashville
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HawKings Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
@Al, How about that he played last night in a Monarch OT win.
No Name Min SH SVS GA
45 J. Bernier (W) 63:44 40 37 3
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holly Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
@HawKings, Trying to take my job?
Yep, he played two hard games over the weekend and I believe on Wednesday against Lowell as well. So 3 games in 5 days and travel.
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Cole Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
@Al,
Well yep that answers my question then. Thx HawKings
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steve Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
@Cole, Didn’t Bernier just play yesterday for the Monarches?
I think he played Friday and Sunday…would make sence not to start him tonight and give him a day of rest in between travel and playing
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KC23 Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
@Al, Not really when you consider Quick has lost every game against Nashville and then there is the travel considerations.
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David Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
@Al, Bernier just played yesterday for MAN.
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Al Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
@David, The guy is still the #1 and you don’t treat #1′s like that, if BERNIER WAS A TERRY SAWCHUK that’s one thing but the last I seen his name started with a “B”
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hope this works out.It’s what a lot of y’all been askin for
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So…Ersy strained his back kicking the soccer ball around?
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launch Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
@Michelle,
i think TM was talking about the report he gets after each game.
it did sound like that though
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Hey, Bernier won his first shoot out of year last time he was up, can you say ‘game up’ . And that is what is needed.
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maybe Bernier can do something against the Preds
we have had zero success in our battles so far this year….maybe a little shake-up will do us good
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True that…we need some new blood in net for the Preds, they’ve had our number for a bit now. I say Bernier, breaks the curse.
I just want my 2 points, Period!!!! At this time of teh year every point is money.
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Tell ya what:
I hate this waiting to get into the playoffs.
–I understand that the boys are in a great position.
–I know they only need four wins numerically to get to 98 points and stay permanently in front of Calgary.
–It’s just that, that…
C’mon, Kings!
–Put this sucker to bed, so I can sleep soundly at night!
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Kings Fan In Idaho Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
I hear ya!
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it seems like a logical explanation to me…
i don’t understand why some of you think ee is not really hurt…
i’ve had my say on the previous threads regarding this and commented with several others in agreement…
as much as i like to be skeptical of odd reasoning,
the only issue i would have with all this going on is the confidence the coaches have in quick…
as we get more info…and that’s key here…THANKS RICHARD HAMMOND…it might be even more so on the observation that this is more of an indication that quick might need a break…
if ee is injured…and why should we NOT give tm and dl the benefit of the doubt here…you have to arrange jb’s arrival…call-up exception or not…
so, if there was an attempt to usurp any rules, the kings should be fined accordingly or disciplined to whatever the league standard is…
i highly doubt that this was a masterminded effort by dl, working in concert with his beleaguered back up ee and tm…
i think this had to be done…and the process that tm spoke about actually took place…
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Capt Jam Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
@variable,
this just in: the Easter Bunny woke up with a strained back this morning and is questionable for Sunday’s festivities.
I can’t believe there’s even a small fraction of Kings fans who buy into a perfectly healthy goalie without any history of back issues suddenly developing a back that’s so strained he couldn’t play tonight….oh, wait, we’re Kings fans: it comes with the Kool-Aid.
that said, I applaud Deano’s hutzpah.
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I just figured it out. The Kings have been tanking on purpose so they can clinch a playoff spot on Saturday against the Ducks. DL is an evil genius, I tells ya!
I can’t help but feel bad for Ersberg. Prior to Quick’s call-up last year, he looked like he had a shot at being a #1 until Bernier’s inevitable arrival. Then Quick comes in and just plays his guts out, and becomes a legitimate #1, and now Ersberg can’t buy a win no matter how he plays. Not that I mind the results, I just wish for his sake he could play a bigger role, and that Murray would have given him more opportunities.
He’s deserved better luck than he’s gotten lately, and I hope that he’s able to find a team that can use him next season.
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Lets see…
Quick is struggling as of late
We desperately need a few wins to solidify a playoff spot
We haven’t been able to beat Nashville all year
EE suddenly has a back strain but is doing much better
And we just called up Bernier as an emergency back up and he will start Tuesday.
Dear Management, We know you think this team is fragile but can you please make it a little less obvious next time you want to make a change.
Sincerely,
The Kings Players
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the day we clinch … I think i will hear a collective sigh of relief floating all the way up the coast from LA before getting trapped by our temperate system of mountains and Van Island
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variable Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
@VanKingsFan,
fo’ sure…!
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calling all conspiracy theorists –
Kings don’t need to fake an EE injury to get Bernier up. There is no roster limit after the trade deadline. They can call Bernier up and put Ersberg in the press box. There is a four call-up limit though. I believe they spent one on Parse. Three left.
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variable Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
@Quisp,
i went over that, too, on the previous thread…
thanks for taking a break from yr site to help add some voices around here…:)
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Dominick Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
@Quisp,variable,
lol
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Bernier gets to play in what will probably amount to the biggest game of the season – no matter what happens tonight. A great test for him.
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It cracks me up how so many Kings fans are so used to seeing the negative in this team/organization (I recognize that history has caused this) that there has to be a conspiracy instead of what it really is. EE has a back strain as of Saturday; JB gets called up on an emergency basis and the Kings plan on using a back-up in the second of a back to back game at the end of the season. My guess is that the back-up, whether it was EE or JB, was going to play the second of the back to back games this week.
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Dominick Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
@HawKings,
It’s always a conspiracy,because DL doesn’t have anything better to do than mess with fans.He’s probably smoking a doobie right now and reading this blog to see how many wise Kingsfans figured it out.
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Too bad Bernier doesn’t score…the goaltending isn’t where the help is needed against the Preds.
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frolovfan Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
@mrbrett7,
You dont like them 1-0 snoozefests in which both teams get points!
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I say this is a sign from the Lord! Lord Stanley saw the Kings, and that they were good.
Then he looked down and he saw the evil forces mustering in Detroit and in Phoenix, very hellish places indeed (particularly if you have to live there), and he saw that this was bad.
So he sent out a little bolt of lightning into the back of Ersberg (of whom even the lord would agree can’t catch a break)
And it is now written that the Bernier would rise from the Manchester to lead his people to the promised playoff land, even as his humble prophets such as rontheking prophesied in many previous posts (try to say that three times fast without spitting).
Halleluyah! And praise the name of the Lombardi in his infinite wisdom!
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Dominick Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
@rontheking,
Well next time the lord needs to start a little earlier in the season,so he doesn’t forsake his faithfull in Manchester.
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rontheking Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
@Dominick, the lord makes saves in mysterious ways.
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You guys are hilarious!
I don’t think anyone was concocting any sort of Zapruder film / JFK conspiracy here. Just pointing out something that seemed logical two hours ago and seems even MORE logical now.
Murray and/or Lombardi want to see Bernier in this game. We won’t say that they’re pretending Ersberg is hurt, because then you guys will get your panties in a twirl again. We’ll say that they’re exaggerating his injury a little bit. That way, they still have their three remaining call-ups, if they need them. It’s not a conspiracy or a fraud or anything like that. It’s what happens this time of year, in professional hockey.
So why is it even more obvious now?
In the last thread, I predicted that Ersberg would make a speedy recovery, so that Bernier could be back in Manchester by the end of the week. Terry just did me one better:
“Ersberg is feeling quite a bit better here today. He was on the ice skating in the morning, but I’ve already made the decision.” -TM
So he’s actually ALREADY better. They got a bandaid on the hangnail, and he’ll be ready to be an emergency backup again by the end of the week.
Give it a couple more playoff seasons. You guys will start to see how this works…
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David Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
@Simmer,
Im pretty sure that the league has to confirm that Ersberg is hurt to make it an emergency call up.
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Simmer Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I don’t believe they do. I’m pretty sure there’s just a time limit for how long he can stick around. If they try to keep him more than two or three games, it becomes a roster move. But since that’s not the intention anyway, there’s no conflict.
Somebody correct me on this, if I’m wrong. But I think that’s how I heard it explained in the Tyler Ennis Portland/Buffalo situation.
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Capt Jam Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
@David,
Yeah, and Lord knows it’s pretty difficult to get a hotel doctor to diagnose a back injury on the side for someone he’ll probably never have to treat again.
Best part of all this is that Deano hasn’t lost one of his remaining minor league call-ups with this move. I believe the limit is 3, post-trade deadline.
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This will be all for not if the Kings do not play better in front of him and can score more than one goal.
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Dominick Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
@runningman,
I don’t know why but anytime there’s a young goalie,teams usually play with a more conscious effort defensively.
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Al Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
@Dominick, Maybe it’s Quick who has the stained back but he can play against the Wild but just can’t go on a back to back like he’s done all season with about two exceptions……. enter Quisp and Variable……
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runningman Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
@Dominick,
that is true.
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FOUR STRAIGHT LOSSES. All with Quick in Net. The Kid is tired and I blame that solely on coach. He’s played too many games. Ersberg should have played more to ease the load.
Now, this opens an opportunity to see Bernier carry this squad. He’s ready and in my opinion better than Quick. He just hasn’t been givin the shot. If he wins in Nashville, he deserves another start after that.
Remember we drafted him 11th overall. Let’s see what he can do!! Go Bernier, I’m pulling for.
Snakes
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