As had been expected in recent days, Jonathan Bernier will start in goal on Saturday when the Kings play Nashville. Jonathan Quick will start his eighth consecutive game tonight, and Bernier hasn’t appeared in a game since the Nov. 24 loss to Montreal. That means Bernier will have gone 24 days between appearances. Previously this season, the longest he had gone between games was 10 days. Murray previously had declared that he would ride Quick for a while, but back-to-back games, particularly on the road, are naturals for a backup goalie. Bernier is 2-5-0 with a 3.30 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage this season, but he made 25 saves in a 4-1 victory over Nashville on Nov. 6 at Staples Center. Last season, he recorded a shutout in Nashville.
MURRAY: “It’s just time for Bernier to get in. He’s been working very hard at his game. He’s been putting a lot of attention to practice. The goalie coaches have been around a couple times now, to give him a little refocus on some of the technical sides of the game, and he’s ready to get playing.”
Perhaps a new look will get Bernier going in the right direction. He has shaved the mustache and beard he had been sporting since the start of the season.
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