Just to set the table, in advance of tomorrow night’s game, the Kings’ top two lines — Brown-Kopitar-Williams and Smyth-Stoll-Lewis — will remain intact, while Alexei Ponikarovsky returns on the third line, with Michal Handzus and Wayne Simmonds. Terry Murray said today that his fourth line will be Kyle Clifford, Brad Richardson and Kevin Westgarth. Murray previously said there would be no changes on defense, so unless ailing Alec Martinez is unable to play, the healthy scratches would be Davis Drewiske and John Zeiler.
In goal, not surprisingly, Jonathan Quick gets the call. Given that the Kings don’t play back-to-back games again until Dec. 26-27, Quick could be the guy for a while, but Murray declined to disclose his short-term goalie plan…
MURRAY: “I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve been talking about it. I’m just going to commit to this game right now. Quick keeps going. He’s had a couple of big wins here, and if he gets going and keeps things on a roll here, I’ll stay with it. That’s not going to be the No. 1 criteria, necessarily, but I’ll just stay with this right now.”
Sounds good to me, Terry. Let’s go with that.
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bernier has been getting better…he will have to continue to get starts, but i would pick the spots so that he is not going in against the hotter teams.
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NOT IMPRESSED Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
@rontheking, Agreed. Bernier should start this Saturday against Minn. Wild. They are having trouble scoring, so it could be a confidence boost for him.
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Gary L Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
@NOT IMPRESSED, First, you have to go with the hot goalie. Unless he falters, you stay with him to win every game. Second, If the backup has to play against the weak teams only, it is time to get a new backup. If I am Murray I play Quick until there is a reason to change. Bernier was supposed to be the the next superstar goalie and he might yet be, but you have to admit that Quick is the star now. He has done everything asked of him. Bernier has yet to prove that he can be better. Whoever plays goal has to earn it. So far it is Quick. Bernier needs to get better if he wants to play more than once in a great while.
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rontheking Reply:
December 9th, 2010 at 8:56 am
@Gary L,
(okay i’m trying again to get this in the right place for a response)
i can’t imagine the logic in either giving up on bernier or on playing quick ad nauseum the way he was played last year. so for the sake of this team you have to continue to give bernier starts and hope he gets better. at some point if he doesn’t get better then maybe you have to start thinking in terms of a new backup–but that’s a last resort. the point is that IF you don’t keep playing bernier you won’t know where you stand AND he won’t get better…AND you wind up in the same position you were in last year, i.e. as the season wanes the games become more and more important and so then you HAVE to play quick…and then when the playoffs arrive you are stuck with a burned out starting goalie AND a rusty backup.
USHA#17 Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
@rontheking,
Better? Bernier? When has he played since the last lost?
Now is not the time. The team is just getting their sea legs back, two players are returning from IR, Martinez is getting his try out and two back to back wins and the team is back near the top of the West.
Is this really the time to play Bernier?
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Bill M. Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
@USHA#17, “team is back near the top of the West.”
That’s what you think. We were eighth before games started today. By the time the kings take the ice, we’ll probably be back in ninth or tenth.
How crazy are the standings. We had the tiebreaker in a 5 way tie for eighth place in the conference…wow.
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rontheking Reply:
December 9th, 2010 at 9:00 am
@USHA#17,
well, for the reasons i stated above you had better find the time to play him, or cut your losses now and find a new backup you CAN play. the kings simply cannot afford to go into the playoffs again with a used up starting goalie….
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if i had the cashola to get a Kings jersey with a team members name and # then i would, BUT i also would get a Kings jersey with Hammond’s name on it.
Rich, you rock!
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Dominick Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
@TinaBeana,
Hammonds jersey is different. You should get a button down shirt with a pocket calculator and some pens in the pocket.
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tornado12 Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
@Dominick, HAHA…CLASSIC
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USHA#17 Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
@Dominick,
Since he looks like a skeleton now maybe he has an old shirt to donate.
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TinaBeana Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
@Dominick, hmm…good point.
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jet Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
@Dominick, And don’t forget the stone.
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Second time I’ve see it now, but according to the schedule, the next back to back is 12/18 Preds and 12/19 Hawks during the coming road trip.
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I like the lines.. I think if it doesn’t work out.. I wouldn’t mind seeing Poni move up and Lewis move down. Move Brown back to his right side…
Maybe this..
Smyth-Kopi-Williams
Poni-Stoll-Brown
Richardson-Hanz-Simmer
Clifford-Lewis-Westie
or
Clifford-Hanz-Simmer
Richardson-Lewis-Westie…
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something tells me Bernier is getting put into the same hole that Ersberg couldnt crawl out of. I hope not but………
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USHA#17 Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
Doubt it. Now just isn’t the time to sit Quick. The next two weeks is as important as the last three may prove to be.
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Dominick Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
Hopefully Bernier learns to play through it better than E so that TM doesn’t overplay Quick farther on down the line. Berier has to learn how to handle the spotted play, so that his play is consistant, when ever he gets the call.
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KC23 Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Nah, last season Quick was even doing some back to backs and some heavy parts of the schedule. The Kings have had a very easy schedule the last couple of weeks. No need for Bernier, especially since Quick is hot. I’m sure we’ll see a few from Bernier last part of the month where the schedule is much heavier.
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A previous poster inspired me to come up with a new game for us to play when we are bored. If there WERE a Rich Hammond jersey, what number would it be and why? We all agree Rich’s blog is #1, so lets get more creative.
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TinaBeana Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
@edwood2, Rich should pick the number.
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neil Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
@edwood2, 86 since he 86 the Daily News!!!!!!
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@USHA#17,
Agreed. Keep Quick playing.
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Harty Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
@Kingsfanone, I also agree, look what Montreal is doing with Price!!!!!
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the lines are fine, TM will likely make changes though….at the risk of sounding like I’m picking on anyone, I would ask who ever is questioning the validity of long line shifts to watch our 2nd line left winger and the length of time he spends on the ice. 1st on for the shift mostly and last off, he’s nearing 40 years and he suspects he can do this? Please for the sake of really good legs in the 3rd period please take shorter shifts and help the team in the long run later in the game…..
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puck73 Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
@Harty, Are you talking about Ryan Smyth ? If you are, I can understand why you wouldnt mistake him for Glenn Anderson, or Mike Gartner lol !
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I’d like to see Westgarth sit out for someone with some skill but other than that I love this team.
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KC23 Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
@Dan H., Not against Calgary. They have a history of beating the crap out of us.
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I’m all for any line that includes Smitty AND Justy on the SAME freakin line.
How is this rocket science?
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KC23 Reply:
December 9th, 2010 at 6:52 am
@Matt George, /signed
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@kylecliffordfan, leave smyth where he is he is not a top line guy or at least for most of the good teams
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@kwvin, Well what do you suggest then?
That Line of Smyth-Kopi-Williams was pretty top line last year…
Maybe
Poni-Kopi-Williams
Smyth-Stoll-Brown
Richardson-Hanz-Simmer
Clifford-Lewis-Westie
?????
Lewis isn’t ready for the 2nd line either..
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@Gary L, i can’t imagine the logic in either giving up on bernier or on playing quick ad nauseum the way he was played last year. so for the sake of this team you have to continue to give bernier starts and hope he gets better. at some point if he doesn’t get better then maybe you have to start thinking in terms of a new backup–but that’s a last resort. the point is that IF you don’t keep playing bernier you won’t know where you stand AND he won’t get better…AND you wind up in the same position you were in last year, i.e. as the season wanes the games become more and more important and so then you HAVE to play quick…and then when the playoffs arrive you are stuck with a burned out starting goalie AND a rusty backup.
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@rontheking,
(not sure why this rebuttal went to the bottom of comments instead of where it was supposed to go)
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2-0 without Drewiske on Defense. Love the healthy scratch. Probably means another W in the win column for the Kings!
Now I can go to the game since he isn’t playing.
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