JONATHAN QUICK 
This season: 72 games, 39-24-7 record, 2.54 goals-against average, .907 save percentage.
The good: For the first time in recent memory, there was no question about the Kings’ No. 1 goalie, from the first day of training camp until the final game of the season. Quick set franchise single-season goalie records for games and wins. Quick was particularly important to the Kings in December and January, when he played well and offset injuries to some of the Kings’ top forwards. Quick’s competitiveness and mental strength are impressive attributes.
The bad: Quick had only an average start to the season and seemed worn down by the end — perhaps due to over-use — when he went winless in his last eight regular-season starts and then allowed 21 goals in six playoff games. Quick’s tendency to aggressively commit to shooters, and to get beat by high shots, got exposed at certain points of the season.
Going forward: Quick’s three-year contract extension kicks in this summer. It’s highly unlikely that he will approach 72 games next season, but Quick did show that he has the skill to be an NHL No. 1 goalie. Now, there are two questions. Can he elevate his game to another level, and be an elite goalie? And can he hold off a challenge from Jonathan Bernier?
a B ? what were you expecting ? Patrick Roy ?
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For the first time in years the Kings finally have stability in goal, thanks to the brilliant season by Jonathan Quick. Yes, he was not great near the end of the season, and was shaky in games 5 and 6, but if you look at the season overall, he was very solid. It’s an interesting situation the Kings are in with Quick and Bernier. I feel that Quick will only get better after what he accomplished this season. 72 games is way too many for any goalie, especially for a guy who is in his first season as a starting goalie. Quick deserves a very solid B+ this season!!
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“a”…
quick did things this season that no other kings goalie has for years…
quick is the no.1…there is no disputing this fact…and he will be heading into training camp…however, with jb eager to get his full-time call up, jq will have ample motivation to maintain his hold on the spot…
ersberg is going to be the odd man out and maybe can yield us a draft pick or some depth via trade…
i expect ee to be moved by august…
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I gave him a B+. Good most of the year, very good for parts of it, worn out and inconsistent at the end. I have to admit that I ended the year feeling much more unsure about him than I felt any time during the year. He needs to take it to another level, or he may end up being a career number 2. I think he can do it, but he has to prove it on the ice over the long haul.
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After watchin the AHL playoffs so far…. it is going to be reeealll hard for Quick to hold JB off… i could see a 50/50 split next year, and time will tell who takes advantage of the opportunity.
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Larry Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
@VanKingsFan, I totally agree that we should see a 50-50 split next year. However, I seriously believe that does not conform with Terry Murray’s style of coaching. He is very old school and believes there should be a clear number 1. Frankly, I hold his mismanagement of the goalie situation the single biggest reason we are watching the Monarchs instead of the Kings.
When you combine that goalie management and his panicky line changes I can clearly see why he was NOT considered for coach of the year.
Can you tell I am not a big fan of our coach?
How did we let Tippet leave LA?????
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Moondoggie Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
@Larry, Because he was offered a head coaching job with Dallas. The year he left, the Kings had the best PP in the league and one of the best PK’s as well, thanx in part to Mark Hardy. It was a major bummer when he left, we all knew it at the time; the Kings suffered immensely after his departure.
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Quisp Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
@Larry,
hard to knock a coach that got a bottom feeding team to its third best franchise record in two seasons. i agree with you re goalie management, but this was on Lombardi. i understand it. but i said all year they were burning him out, and they did.
I gave Quick an A because (1) stability in goal, (2) record setting season (3) I like him, (4) it’s not his fault he played 78 games. I would have given him an A-, but that wasn’t an option.
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I voted “B+”. I was really close to giving him an “A”. Good season JQ.
Seeing how competitive he is, I’m curious how he would grade himself.
He was certainly the best player on the ice for a lot of the wins.
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Quick deserves a A watch the replays of the games huge saves at key moments all year!! Quick only started to slump after he had his 1st child and after the Olympics. REMEMBER he wasn’t the #1 goalie last season it was split with EE so to improve that much Quick deserves nothing less than a A and he will come back strong next season. PLUS jb is finally showing he wasn’t a waste of a #1 draft pick so future is really bright between the pipes now just get a 30-40 goal scorer and little more help on D and you got a cup contender.
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this will be interesting. from MVP by poll on this site to what grade?
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I gave him an “A” because he had great season and gave the team much needed stability in net. Its nice watching games when you know your goaltender is good enough to win unlike past goalies Cloutier,Labarbara, chechmanek etc. Quick will only get better.
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adi Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
@AlbertaKingsFan, A for someone who didn’t make a single great save in the last 20 matches of the season, including playoffs? If you give Quick an A, then you should give an A to all Kings players, including Randy Jones.
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Seattle757 Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
@adi, Time for you to fix your broken record. With your line of thinking it seems a goalie is worthless if he doesn’t give you a shut out every game.
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adi Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
@Seattle757, absolutely not, but it’s grotesque to give an A to someone like Quick, that’s all. The whole point of grades is to distinct and the grades fail the moment you grade someone like Quick with an A.
(Ofcourse unless you have A+++++ and A++++++ reserved for players like Niemi, DD, Crosby, Sedin, Ovechkin.)
Quisp Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
@adi,
I don’t think you understand how grading works. Also, I don’t know what you think a great save is.
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Michael J Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
@Quisp, adi would have probably run Chris Osgood out of Detroit after his first two years.
Do the math:
Osgood
1993–94 41 23 8 5 — 2,206 105 2 2.86 .895
1994–95 19 14 5 0 — 1,087 41 1 2.26 .917
Quick
2008–09 44 21 18 — 2 2495 103 4 2.48 .914
2009-10 72 39 24 — 7 4258 180 4 2.54 .907
Yah, on second thought run the guy out of town…
Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
@adi,
You’re a broken record, man. I’m tired of your one-note posts.
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B+ due to his slow start and wearing down at the end. His strongest ability is the “timely save” which is something we haven’t had since…..
Yeah he lets in some soft ones, but the fact that he can duel regularly with top goaltenders tells me that he plays 55-60 games next season. JB would benefit greatly from watching this adversity and building on a work ethic to get through an NHL season.
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I give him a lot of crap, but he was better than anyone expected. I dont think he will ever be an elite #1 goalie, but he did help get the Kings to the playoffs this year. I look forward to the goalie controversy next year.
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Sam Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
@Black Friday 2010, I would say anyone who wins 39 times in today’s NHL is a pretty damn elite goaltender. That’s just me. I know people dismiss the shootout wins but those are more related to goaltending than the other 65 minutes. I feel I’m alone in this but whatever. I think Quick is a top-10 goaltender in today’s NHL. And he should get much better.
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Dominick Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
@Sam, I’m with ya buddy.It’s his first year as a #1.He’s only going to get better.If Bernier gives us 39 wins in his first year as a #1,do we just delagate the job to someone else.NO!We play him the next year and develope his game even more.
To say Quick has maxed out after his first real season is nonsense.It’s just too soon in his carrer to throw in the towel.
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Chris P. Bacon Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
@Sam,
You actually think Quick is elite? WHY? Just tell me WHY?
Don’t give me that 39 wins stuff. Quickie did not single handedly win those games. It’s not like he took a sh***y team on his back and said, “dont worry guys, I got you!”.
His stats definitely do not back up your claim either. I guess Anderson is elite too? Neimi?
Quick was below average, yet it was good enough for the team to get into the playoffs. Thats it!
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Dan H. Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
@Sam,
And add to it that the Kings on most nights couldn’t get him more than one goal in those shootouts meant he had to be perfect and it was all about him.
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I knew Bernier’s name was going to get mentioned in his review… and you waited until the very last word. Nicely done. If Bernier carries his play from this years AHL season to next year we are going to have a Halak/Price situation on our hands. i will take it. I laready can’t wait till next year. Is it too soon?
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Ryan Smyth is out for the whole Worlds with an ankle injury
I feel for him. This was supposed to be his redemption for not making the Olympic team.. Captain Canada can still lead in the dressing room!!
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He was essentially a rookie. Of course he can raise his game to the next level. Every weakness he displayed was nothing more than a lapse in judgment. Nothing more than “rookie mistakes.”
A for far exceeding expectations.
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I gave him a B+. First time as a #1 KIngs goalie. Played several games, gave us a chance to win every game(for the most part). He was over-worked and it costs us in the end. From having a baby and trying to compete at a high level was too much for a young goal tender.
He has a lot of potential to get to the next level, but there are technical aspects of his game that he needs to improve.
Bernier has it. He’s always poised and makes the right moves. Personally, he gives the team and myself a lot of confidence. Quick did it in the middle of the season, but couldn’t keep it when we needed it the most.
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I saw an “F” vote. Guess that means adi voted.
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Absolutely zero talent and should be traded away until he’s worth something. He’ll never play well in any important match and he’ll never again play for the US national team, even as 3rd goalie.
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Sam Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
@adi, Match?
And you might want to re-watch the first two “matches” against the Canucks. He out-played the supposed “greatest goaltender ever in the history of goaltending.” He also outplayed that same goaltender for most of the series. And turns out the dude was injured too. I’d say that counts as playing well in important games.
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AlbertaKingsFan Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
@adi, He had 39 Wins!! How is tha zero talent?
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HawKings Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
@adi, By any chance is Anthony/Anthonyy your first name? I am pretty sure Anthony/Anthonyy’s initials are ADI. Same thing over and over and over and over again. Pretty annoying.
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quisp Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
@adi,
how do you trade someone away “until they’re worth something?”
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Michael J Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
@adi, I think someone is a duck fan.
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luc20rules Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
@Michael J, Thats my thoughts exactly. Probably just couldn’t take the 5-1 beat down that Quick put on his beloved Ducks this year.
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Ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case!
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Dominick Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
@Nitrohockey, Oh!Your Good.Your very good.lol
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Nitrohockey Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
@Dominick, LOL! Thanks, but it really wasn’t that hard. With adi’s broken record posts regarding Quick, even Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrain and Deputy Enos could’ve cracked this case!
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Here’s hoping, as he matures, his game becomes more consistentespecially his rebounds. Also, many of his problems were the result of burnout by the coach. Wh have a backup goalie if you never use him. Did murrat expect Ersberg to improve by sitting out almost every game??? Poor attitude, murray!
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puck73 Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
@poe, I agree with ya sir on all points. TM cannot play 1 goalie over 70 times in 1 regular season, Ersberg should have played between 15 to 25 games this year not only to keep EE sharp but more importantly keep Quick fresh. I still like TM as the coach but clearly a lot of people on this site, us included disagree with him on that subject.
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A.
Only the second true #1 Goaltender since Rogie; Potvin was the other. Allowed 2 goals per game less than Hrudey’s best year ever. Anyone who complains has no clue.
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Seattle757 Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
@Michael J,
I agree!
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I do not see how anyone in their right mind could give anything other than an A. The only reason he did not win more games was due to the Kings lack of scoring.
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adi Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
@Slapshot, yes that’s a smart point, when you get 4 goals from 13 shots every second match, your biggest issue is scoring.
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Dominick Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
@adi, yes that’s a smart point,I guess when you log 4,258 minutes(2nd in the NHL)as a rookie,we should just pick out all the small things and forget the big picture.
It’s worked out real well for us in the past.
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Michael J Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
@adi, One has to wonder where some posters attained such critical thinking skills???
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Good God — Cammaleri just scored his 10th playoff goal this postseason! I know, he is a “bad influence” on the team chemistry. Yeah, all those goals are “bad.” Rather have Frolov and his putrid output. Amazing how we get sucked into character guys and lose focus that this game is 90 percent about being able to put the puck in the net.
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tanget aside, I thought Quick played well, although obviously not after the break. Why he is being handed the No 1 slot is a effing mystery. Look at Boston. Tim Thomas wins the Vezna and now is a backup. You go with your best players, not the guy who “earned the No.1 slot.” Hope the Kings get this.
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Michael J Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
@carol vadnais, I love the guy’s skill. Too bad he didn’t want to be a King, or play in LA. If he did, they might have kept him.
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Personally I give Quick a B-. Which perfectly describes his play, he was average to above average. I am not going to be blinded by the 39 wins that the team earned. That’s more of a team statistic. The starts, he had to play because we had a crappy backup more than anything and we had to stick with the plan.
He’s not an elite goalie right now anyone that says he is one, is clueless about hockey. He had plenty of rest, Olympic Break gave him a much needed rest from all the games he started. So it’s not that. It’s not the baby, he makes good money to hire a babysitter. There’s really no excuses for Quick. It is what it is.
I want to see a goaltender that can elevate his play as the stakes get higher, and when they did this year…Quick crumbled. Anyone watch the last game of the playoffs? We lost because of Quick’s poor play.
Currently, I am watching the Monarchs rip through the playoffs on the back of a goalie named Bernier. It’s not the first time Bernier has carried a team in the playoffs, he does it regularly at every level except the NHL. It will be a short time until Bernier makes his name known to NHL fans.
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B+…..There is no doubt that the Kings wouldn’t have made the playoffs without Quickie. I started to give him an A but couldn’t because ultimately he didn’t lead the Kings to the promised land and his goaltending in the playoffs was suspect. His fault? Probably not. TM rode his young No. 1 because he didn’t want to bring up JB, probably a good thing for both Bernier and Quick. 72 games for one goalie? Probably too much. Quickie was playing brilliantly up until the Olympics. Throw in the birth of his newborn and the playoffs and Quick just plain ran out of gas. However, he carried the Kings this season and saw more rubber when they were flatter than a dead skunk on the Trans Canada Highway.
Next year? Quickie has two things to prove. First, his mental toughness. Yep, it was a long season but not long enough, for everyone. During the stretch run & playoffs, Quick seemed out of place at times and lacked confidence, a shadow of what we’d seen during the regular season. He’ll have to be more consistent. Second, the challenge from JB. When Bernier came in to play against DAL, NSH and YVR he was able to settle the team down and get wins, he brought stability. Bernier was rarely out of position and gave up few rebounds, he smothers pucks. The team played far more confidently in front of Bernier during the stretch than they did with Quickie. Maybe they knew something. I’ve always said and most will agree, a team plays better if they have confidence in who’s in the back end. They play looser, take more chances and are more creative with the puck. Towards the end of the season and after several poor performances by Quick, the team seem to lose confidence in him; this reflected directly on the ice.
I’m a Quickie fan, I think he’s great. As good as JB? Only time will tell. I hope for a 50/50 split in games next year between JB and Quickie but that won’t happen. TM is a traditionalist and will have a clear cut No. 1 going into the season. May the best goalie win the job in the preseason outright. It will be an interesting fight and shear delight to be a King.
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i gave him a c plus and this is why…..above avg all year.90 % save pct at the beginning,the middle and at the end of the year.Soft goals thru out the year.Some great games but also some bad ones…He is what he is now..a avg. goalie..will he get better? hopefully….but there is alot of room to improve…next year maybe he will get a B or a A … Until then…avg.
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I gave a B
I really like Quick a ton, and I hope he becomes an A+ guy.
I agree that he had plenty of time to rest during the olympics, but I have no kids (nor do I have a career making a million a year) so I can’t speak to that.
I feel Quick was poorer after the club called up Bernier and started him over Ersberg. I feel this was a bad move. Quick must have felt like the stand-in after he’d played so well.
Also, the team really let him down very often late in the season and in the playoffs. The End of season losses to Anaheim (leading 1-0 with two minutes left) and to Phoenix (late lead evaporates and no goal support in the shootout) were tough on Quick.
Against Vancouver we were giving up way too many scoring chances to great players that can finish.
That said, I began to question Quicks mental game towards the end because he just didn’t seem as confident
I hope he show consistently that he plans to be a GREAT goaltender. I’m not drinking the Bernier Koo-Aid just yet. I want Quick to be the man. It’s up to him.
Our team defense has got to improve, though.
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Everyone has basically said it, he was worn out by the end of the year. He seemed to lack confidence and this was reflected in his play and the teams play. All this aside, he still deserves an A. 39 wins is pretty damn impressive and he can’t be expected make up for a lack of scoring on the other side nor can he be compared to Bernier at this point. Next year I’m thinking that the No. 1 goalie, whomever it is, should play 50ish games having the backup play the rest. That’s the system that will allow the No.1 to be rested and ready for the playoffs. Murray might be old school but with goalies as good as we have right now I’m hoping he will see the light.
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Great point about Tim Thomas Carol. Actually, I agreed with most of your points this year. Right on! It makes you think though…how quickly things change in hockey…
I don’t want to hear about any #1 until after training camp. Earn it!
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I think he got overplayed.
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A
Quick did something no other Kings goalie in history ever did…win 39 games in a season. His play was a large part of the reason we finally made the playoffs since 02.
He hit a slump at the wrong time of the year. We can guess whether he was overworked or not, but that should not take away from the good that he did all year for us. No goalie goes thru a whole season without hitting a slump. You just hope it doesn’t happen at the end of the year and into the playoffs.
Next year he’s going to be pushed harder than he ever has in his life. Bernier looks like the real deal. This is a win-win for the Kings and fans. Having 2 top notch goalies gives you a chance to win every night.
I can’t wait for the competition to begin with these two outstanding goalies.
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Definately a case where numbers aren’t the whole story. Didn’t come through when we needed him most. He’ll be in for the fight of his life come pre-season Vs Bernier.
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Plain and simple…without Quick we don’t make the playoffs and another season goes by the wayside without the team getting any playoff experience.
If he never starts another game, loses his starting job or gets traded, we owe a debt of gratitude to this kid for coming out of know where to win 39 games and carry this team on his back during some very rough patches during the season.
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My my, Kings fans have been migggghty generous on all of these ratings.
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