Jonathan Quick will get a chance to redeem himself in a hurry. Quick, who had the game-winning goal trickle past him late in Tuesday’s loss to St. Louis, will be in goal Thursday when the Kings face Phoenix. Until the late gaffe, Quick was having one of his strongest games of the last month or so, and coach Terry Murray said he will give Quick a chance to build off that.
MURRAY: “I thought he had a very good game. Going back to Bernier’s game, I thought he had a very good game. I thought Quick’s game was very good last night. The timing of the goal against, and the goal itself, were not good, but he’s our No. 1 guy. It’s a big division game here, and he will play.”
Murray talked about his “win and you’re in” declaration from a few days ago. Quick didn’t win, but he’s still in, and Murray said he could have gone either way with his goalie choice. Jonathan Bernier fared relatively well in his loss to Dallas on Monday.
MURRAY: “Well, we did have two losses in a row. I do believe, though, that when you’ve got someone who is going hot, in a stretch that we’re in right now, that you have to keep going with them. I could have easily gone back with Bernier last night, because I really did like his game in the Dallas game. He was focused and he was sharp. But when I’m doing what I’m doing, the decision is based on Quick being our No. 1 guy right now. His play was real good last night. I know he’s very disappointed, at the end of the day, with what happened. I’m going to give him a chance to regroup and get back in there.”
Quick did not lose that game and Bernier didn’t lose the one before that. Crap offense/PP lost both games.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
@KC23, you are correct sir! the Goalies did not loose us those games.
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Cortex949 Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
@KC23, 100% true sir. Laying it on to goalies is like losing a baseball game 4-3 and asking your DH why he didn’t go 4 for 4 with 4 solo home runs
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Mike Reply:
January 20th, 2011 at 12:56 am
@Cortex949,
I like the analogy but just so you know, any baseball game with a “dh” in it is not real baseball. Being asked to get off your (expletive) and swing a bat once an hour without playing any defense at all hardly qualifies as sport. Bush league, I tell you.
sorry for the tangent, can you tell this season has me looking forward to dodger season already? expletive me.
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Keeper Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
@KC23, You know it. With the exception of two or three games, both goalies have been good. Not their fault that they guys playing in front of them can’t bury the puck!
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wavesinair Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
@KC23,
“We played a great game. We deserved to get the two points. Then one bad goal costs us.” – J. Quick
“That was a save you have to have 100% of the time,” – T. Murray
Some games in the NHL will be 1-1 in the 3rd. It doesn’t always mean there wasn’t enough goal support. Sure, I wish we had more goals but Quick cost us a point last night.
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Keeper Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
@wavesinair, Yeah, he let a bad one slip, but “It doesn’t always mean there wasn’t enough goal support.” C’mon. That’s a clear case of no goal support. They have enough talent on that first line to bury more than one. And the one came from Clifford!
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wavesinair Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
@Keeper, When games are tied 1-1 in the 3rd with 7 minutes left, that’s when you hunker down and pull out a point. Sure, no goal support. It’s a team game. I’m just saying. If it’s tied late in the 3rd, you have to hunker down. That’s it. Last night was on Quick. That’s just the way it is.
KC23 Reply:
January 20th, 2011 at 1:21 am
@wavesinair, Any team (save maybe the Bruins) would gladly take 2 goals against all year long. Sorry, it ain’t on Quick or Bernier. Our forwards are not getting the job done, end of story. Facts are facts.
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TinaBeana Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
@KC23, THIS! yup.
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load of crap!
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I guess if both goalies keep losing, “win and you’re in” doesn’t really come into play.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
@Gerard, You mean if the team keeps losing despite the goaltending holding the other team two goals.
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wavesinair Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Or the defense doesn’t clear out all that terrible traffic in front of the net! LOL.
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5-Hole Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
@Gerard,
Maybe it means they call up Jones or Zatkoff…then when they lose we dip into Ontario…..
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 20th, 2011 at 7:21 am
@5-Hole, LOL!
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Coach Murray shuffles lines and goalies like a kid with ADHD playing with lagos… will the madness ever stop. how can anyone get on a roll if they are being bounced around after every game, or in the middle of periods for that matter.the season is slipping away. i believe in the kings and think if Murray leaves a line together for a minute they could still find their stride and make the playoffs. tick tick tick, thats the sound of the playoffs slipping away…(dexter season 5.. i only barrow quotes)
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jofa6000 Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
@jason29, yeah these line combo changes need to stop. let the guys get use to each other by playin more than 1 game.
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oldthunder Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
@jason29, completely agree with you. His constant juggling of lines and goalies is giving the team a complex.
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In both cases, the goaltending isn’t the problem, and hasn’t been since the time Quick misplayed two of them and they ended in the net. Of course, he’s also played very well, for the most part (but he needs to address his puck-handling issues.)
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This probably isn’t a unique analogy, but it just hit me. I am Charlie Brown, and the Kings/Terry Murray/Dean Lombardi are Lucy with the football. Just when I’m starting to believe this team is for real… I really don’t care who is in goal for the next game. Since TM is so fond of shaking up the lineup, how about dressing Bernier as a true stay-at-home defenseman? He can simply stay by the goal at all times, handling any pesky puckhandling that needs to be done, and play the puck outside the trapezoid and pretty much be an active backup goalie. That would free Quick up to concentrate on stopping goals he can stop. Apologies, friends, my frustration is getting the better of me today. Signed – Charlie Brown
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lose and your in
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at this point i dont think i could be anymore dissapointed in our whole franchise from the GM down to the players, but this is the Kings after all, and this recent slump if thats what you want to call it shouldnt be a surprise to anyone considering our past. I have been resigned back to no expectations for this team and it has helped the past couple games. Im not screaming at the TV anymore and now can actually get out of my house on game nights (i DVR it and watch it later). I like what DL has done with building our team the right way but there still seems to be something missing, not sure whether its him or TM or the players but we still need some pieces thats for sure.
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The goal that “trickled” in, did not lose us that game?
What a load of crap.
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dori Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
@Matt Fig, there was still plenty of opportunity for the offense to score and tie or even win the game after that point. There’s a whole team out there, not just one goalie stopping pucks.
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SplattDaddy Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
@dori, Actually there is just one goalie stopping the pucs. And yes, that was an easy NHL stop, no traffic in front, no tip etc…. All Mental. Jus’ sayin’ fellow Kings fan.
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LG Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 9:44 pm
@SplattDaddy, Yes it was an easy stop, but dont people make mistakes? whether or not it was “an easy NHL stop” we need help from everyone, the whole team needs to step up their game, whether it be the defense, offense, even goal-tending. They have the skill, they proved it earlier this season, they just need to pick themselves up…
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 20th, 2011 at 7:26 am
@SplattDaddy, It was a stop he should have had, but you wouldn’t have made it, and there was traffic. There wasn’t a screen, but there was traffic, and that matters when players out there are in a situation where they’re questioning what will happen.
all I have to say is I still believe. The season is half over and there’s still a lot of hockey for the boys to play. All hope is not *totally* lost. (yet)
And when all else fails (offense, deffense, what have you), In Quick We Trust.
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wavesinair Reply:
January 19th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
@dori, We can only lose 12 more games so…
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Lot’s of vitriol here today!
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When the offense is going, the defense tanks, and vice versa. Kind of like an out of tune car, you never know which cylinders it is going to be firing on. The answer? If I knew, DL would have my resume tomorrow. DL has indicated no changes, so, okay TM, show us what you’ve got. And something a bit stronger than line juggling. This team has proven they can be dominant, so figure out how to bring it back!
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Quick cost us a point.. not two. He makes that save and worst case the game ends tied… BUT that is 2 really really really bad goals in a just a few games (remember the Whiff). Quick needs to mentally hold it together until the offense comes around.
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We need a shut-out to win.
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maybe but not in LA it won’t happen as i remember Terry Murray was in Philly and the flyers were not a very good team not a team with heart but the flyers won just enough but somebody saw the truth and canned Mr. Murray then the flyers became a different team it is time for the Kings to see
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TM is making the right decision by letting Quick try and redeem himself. There is nothing to gain by letting him simmer in whatever self-pity he is already going through. This affirms the coaches’ confidence in him in Quick’s mind, and I think Bernier understands everything about that, and were it Bernier that gave up that softie, he’d been in vs. PHX too.
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There is no player on this team that has been breastfed by Murray more than Quick.
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Goaltending is not the Kings problem. With the exception of maybe 3 or 4 games, the goaltending has been solid. There is something going on in the locker room that none of us are privy to. We have the same players in the line up now that we did at the start of the season. Something has changed in there collectively. Whether its the coach, the system or the players themselves, something has changed in their attitude towards games. The team does not have the same fire now that they did at the start of the season albeit whatever reason. Either way you look at it, these guys are not playing the same way with the same attitude that they did in October. If this team wants any kind of support from the fans, they will need to show the fans that they can play now as they did in October. Thus far, they havent looked the same since early December.
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I bet Quick wants to redeem himself and really wants this game. Or maybe I’m just retarded and all of this losing is making me say stupid things.
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I know this is off topic, but everyone keeps saying how we have a large amount of really good prospect s in the minors and AHL, so why haven’t we called any of them up? We have no rookie or even 2nd year player playing an important part of this team. Clifford is a 3rd-4th liner, Lewis is a 3rd-4th liner, Martinez is a 3rd liner, and Bernier is a back-up goalie. We need playmakers up front so why not call up Loktionov or Moller, or both. I know they played a little with us earlier this year, but neither of them were given a legitimate chance to show what they could do. Loktionov played mostly on the 4th line except for mabye 3 games with Kopi and Brown. 3 games is not enough time to showcase what a player like him could do. Moller played like 3 games as 2nd line right wing and played really well i thought. TM and DL said there wasn’t enough room for either of them when they were sent down. My question to that is why do we have 2 defenseman who have played enough that manegement knows what they are capeable of, sitting in the press box every night. They aren’t going to play either one on a consistent basis, prefering to go with Muzzin or Martinez. I’m fine with that, Martinez has looked really good, so why waste a roster spot on both of them??? Why take up a roster spot on somebody who isn’t even the first choice to play if a defenceman gets injured if we have forwards not playing up to par? When TM has a problem with the effort of a forward (Poni, Sturm, Handzus) he should be able to sit them down and play someone other than an Enforcer who can’t and shouldn’t play more than 5 min a night. ( Sidenote to anyone who thinks we need an enforcer: what team has been the best most consistent team the last 20 yrs? Answer : the same team who didn’t have an enforcer for all those years, DETROIT. And don’t tell me McCarty was an enforcer, he was a 3rd line checking forward who could also fight, like Simmonds, or Clifford.) The only way to know if our young guys can play,is to give them a legitimate opportunity to show their skills. Like we didn’t do with Moulson or Boyle. Both guys on pace to score over 25 goals this year. Plus they play the exact positions this team lacks, 2nd line LW and 2nd line Center ( Makes you think doesn’t it?).
My Solution, trade Stoll, Sturm, Poni, and DD2. I know you’re not gonna get much for them back, if anything, but at least it opens up a spot for one of our minor leaguers to play significant minutes. And to all you people out there disagreeing with me answer me this, which one of these guys has played well enough to be on a top 2 forward line, or top 2 d-line? Answer NOT ONE. Plus we have Clifford, Handzus, Simmonds, Lewis, and Richardson to play the 3rd and 4th lines. The players I want traded are not needed on this team PERIOD. Thank god for this blog so i can get these opionions off my chest. GKG
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I thought Quick had a good game last night, except for the GWG. I hope we win tomorrow and maybe the season seat holders around me will start coming back to the games.
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Goaltending is a BIG problem. Letting pittiful shots trickle through your pads because you couldn’t control the puck is everything. If you want to be a Stanley Cub goaltender you don’t give the opponents a second chance to hit you again and again. You also don’t make silly unnecessary mistakes in stick handling and puck control in your own zone.
There is NO question that mistakes in coverage from the D are a big part of our losses, rule number one for Defence is to take away the shot, if you take away the shot at the goal, they can’t possibly score.
Neither part of the team is free of blame.
On 1/16/11 TM in Rich’s article “Murray’s new goalie message: win, and you’re in”
TM said: “He won. He’s playing. He won. Period.”
Well, TM lets be consistent. Quick Lost lost, 100% his fault, puck trickled through his pads, but we send a clear message that its OK, we’ll just get’em next time.
Hold these Highly paid professionals accountable for their actions. Screw up, Ride the bench until your skills improve. There are plenty of others sitting in the wings waiting for their chance. They certainly are no worse that what we have.
RR
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 20th, 2011 at 7:24 am
@Roger Rabbit, Please observe what actually happened i the entire game, when he stopped 24 of 26 shots, and many of them were great saves. By your twisted logic, it would have been just peachy if he’d let in two of those tough shots and stopped this one.
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Is your team having a disappointing season?
Remedy Before each game stand up straight then take your left hand and cover your right eye then take your right hand and cover your mouth stop, then hop up and down on your left foot 10 times stop.
Now take your right hand grab your nose,then place your left hand on the back of your head stop,then hop up and down on your right foot 5 times stop.
Last step bend from your waist to a 45 degree angle then begin bouncing your hands briskly off your bum while holding your breath for 30 seconds. repeat twice for away games.
Blaming one player for a loss in a team sport makes about as much sense as my above remedy or maybe its worth a try for some?
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its gotta get by the players before it gets by the goalies!
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Hockey Quotes:
“Shoot the puck. It might go in”
Bobby Hull
“Shoot the puck when Jonathan Quick is in goal. It will probably go in”
Eric Johnson
With 95% of the players in the NHL playing defense-first hockey and competent goalies on every team, cheap goals are a killer. I’ve defended Quick in the past, but he needs to step it up, as does the rest of the team.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 20th, 2011 at 7:22 am
@JKA, Yeah…a .923 save percentage doesn’t cut it.
(rolls eyes)
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