Eight games, and 24 days. That’s how long Jonathan Bernier will have waited between appearances by the time the puck drops tomorrow night in Nashville and Bernier starts in goal for the Kings. That’s certainly not approaching Erik Ersberg territory, given that Ersberg went more than 40 days between starts at one point last season, but clearly Terry Murray has deviated from his early-season plan of getting Bernier into at least one game per week. The timing, now, is obvious though, and was obvious even before Jonathan Quick allowed five goals against St. Louis. The Kings have back-to-back games at Nashville and Chicago, Quick has started eight consecutive games and Bernier is 2-0 against Nashville in this calendar year. Murray said today that his decision to start Bernier against Nashville was a chance to rest Quick and get Bernier — last seen in a rough loss to Montreal — back on track.
MURRAY: “It’s probably both. I mentioned this, I think, yesterday, that I was thinking of playing him [Bernier] in the game at home against Minnesota. Quick had been playing well, and I just wanted to stay with that. (Bernier) did have a good game here last year against Nashville, and with back-to-back games and a 6 o’clock start in Chicago, the rest factor kicks in on that one too. So he will get the start tomorrow.”
Good Luck JB2 ….
[Reply]
Go Bernier, we all have faith in you so pick up a W in Nashville so we can start moving up in the standings. We need home ice come playoff time.
[Reply]
thats a TM quote.
[Reply]
Trade bait. Maybe for a real uninjured player of high quality?? Too much talent to sit or be a back up. I guess contract time will determine DL move.
[Reply]
Original Crown/Silver & Black & Purple. Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
@Kings x, trade bait my ass. he’s had a rough go so far, but bernier is still a young player with a very good chance at being a top-notch goaltender. the organization knows this. do you not remember how TERRIBLE our goaltender situation has been historically? why are so many fans so ready to bail on him? do you really want to see him kicking ass in another jersey?
[Reply]
luc20rules Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
@Original Crown/Silver & Black & Purple., For the same reason so many made him a future Messiah after 3 NHL games last year. Mob mentality?
[Reply]
Kings x Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
@Original Crown/Silver & Black & Purple., What team has two number one goaltenders at the same age no less. And yes I remember goaltending woes for eternity. I rather enjoyed watching labarberra lose on the shootout to NYR last night. And the hrudey flop, the storr mishap. The stauber, pitiful czechmanek. Our team needs two non coming off injury 20+ goal scorers and another vet d. You have a surplus or centers, d men and goal tenders. Don’t cars how we get it, as long as it is the smartest way. Then look at the aging vets who need to be extended or let go.
[Reply]
I'm Just Saying" Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
@Kings x, Right on the nose my man…I just dont think AEG will make the moves necessary….I hope im wrong.
DLB Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
@Kings x, a young goaltender like Bernier doesn’t have much trade value. I’d rather keep both of them — why not, they’re both young and on cheap contracts.
Original Crown/Silver & Black & Purple. Reply:
December 18th, 2010 at 11:09 am
@Kings x, you forgot to mention rick knickle (thanks for not including cloutie, nobody wants to have to remember that crap).
@ DLB, agreed. what trade value does an unproven goalie have on the market? keep them both. they are CHEAP…put that money towards getting a good final piece(s).
slhd hv started bernier last game after Quick put out so much energy squelching the red wings. Quick’s awesome but I hope he’s not worn out like last year by year end. I think RH earlier put out the stats that every goalie who played a lot last year had playoff troubles.
[Reply]
408kingsfan Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
@vicarious, I really did not see any soft goals in the ST louise game from Quick. I did however see are D scrambling around like fools
[Reply]
luc20rules Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
@vicarious, Yes he did, and it makes perfect sense. The only guy that has been able to do it has been Broduer, and much of that was he wasn’t stress to badly in the games, because little action came his way when the rules were allowing hooking and grabbing making the neutral trap too easy.
[Reply]
bernie’s gotta step up to the plate and start eating…otherwise by the end of the regular season quick really is going to start talking about himself in the second person.
[Reply]
starting to feel like Jamie Stor all over again. The golden egg that never hatches. Come on Bernie were pulling for you, stand on your head, and be big.
[Reply]
Wow do the we ever need this win. Even with a 12-3 start this has been an unbelievably disappointing season so far. I need some juice to throw at my family in Vancouver, let’s go.
[Reply]
Kings Been good in the beginning of the season i just dotn get why we falling so bad at the almost to the middle of the season and we are doing bad if we dont make the playoff am going to be disappoint with the Kings but i know they will turn this around and win cause every team goes through these Come on Kings i believe in u guys to make the playoff
[Reply]
So far all I’ve heard are excuses for Bernier. Time to put up or shut up about Bernier. He hasn’t had a single above average game this season.
[Reply]
rontheking Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
@KC23,
i think you’re exactly right…bernier has to start proving himself if he expects to have any significant role this year with the kings.
[Reply]
first of all, this team has been very average. They are better than they were a couple seasons ago but there’s still a lot of things they can work on. Jon Quick could be spectacular on some nights and very average on other nights. Maybe he needs to change his face mask, although that may not be the solution to the problem, but goodness I’ve never seen a goalie wear the same face mask for 3 seasons in a row like he can’t come up with a different design for his mask.
Bernier is a SUPER OVER HYPED player. He isn’t any better than Ersberg.
Doughty needs to step up.
Kopitar needs to score more.
Also, we get people like Marco Sturm .. like who really cares?!?! ..
[Reply]
Not better than Ersberg? Did Ersberg ever win last year in Nashville? What short memories we have.
[Reply]
Rich, pretty sure you’ve attributed MURRAY’s quote to QUICK.
[Reply]
Rich Hammond Reply:
December 18th, 2010 at 6:22 am
True…thanks…
[Reply]
Quick is not invincible – it mat seem like we have too much talent in net, but we don’t necessarily.
I used to think we have too much talent on D – that wasn’t the case when Willie went out – and now he is out again.
But all I can say is that JQ doesn’t really need the rest. This move isn’t to motivate him either – I think it is us playing bad D,
If we had an average netminder – I can asssure you we would be at the bottom right now.
[Reply]
Quick has proved himself… Bernier hasnt but when he does i’m sure a trade will be made… I think Quick will be one of the best goalies in the NHL for a long time.. Bernier idk…
what stinks about this year is guys that should have gotten better have gotten worse. Johnson, Simmons and Doughty have been average. they have their good nights but common… Kopi too but thats partially putting him with 3rd and 4th liners.. Now that williams and brown are with him hes steppin it up.. Drewiske, Harold and Martinez I think are playing really well.
Martinez should be used more because he shoots on net and hes very effective… Annoying when we miss the net 80 times in a night
[Reply]
Original Crown/Silver & Black & Purple. Reply:
December 18th, 2010 at 11:12 am
@jason, Jarret Stoll shoots…wide. put the puck on net and the PP will be more successful.
[Reply]
Bernier will win this one if he gets any help. No stupid mistakes from the defense.
[Reply]
It’s interesting that he hasn’t played as much as TM said he would. I think its because we have had so many weeks with four days off in a row. TM has to get JB playing now because the schedule coming in the middle of the season is packed until a few extra days off for the All-Star game. JB really hasn’t played bad, the team hasn’t played well in front of him. The defense has been a little sloppy in those games but if your forwards don’t score, you really can’t win a game no matter if you are JQ, JB or the best goalie to ever live. JB is also use to playing every game in the AHL, when you don’t play for a long time like we saw last year with EE its hard to have any timing.
[Reply]
Don’t you guys think that Bernier maybe better than Quick since Bernier was drafted high in the draft, the first goalie taken in his draft compared to Quick who has been taken 172 I think…………. Especially with the Hockey Experts like Melrose raving about Bernier……….. now the hockey experts are looking at Quick, since I could be wrong since you know Luc was drafted low along with Pavel Datsyk. Same with Kippersoff in Calgary. I do admit, Quick is more experienced and athletic then Bernier in the NHL obviously.
[Reply]
don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bernier has excelled at every level he has played at, and the NHL will be no exception. Kings fans may see him excel in another NHL city if they continue to exhibit their impatience at his growth. Over the years you’ve booed more than one player who’s gone on to have a Hall Of Fame career
[Reply]