What to do in goal? To finish off this leg of the road trip, the Kings have today and tomorrow off, then play three games in four days: Wednesday at Columbus, Thursday at the New York Rangers and Saturday at the New York Islanders. Typically, it would be a slam-dunk that Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier would split the back-to-back games, but there was a long pause today when I asked Terry Murray if it was safe to assume he would split the goalie play against the Blue Jackets and Rangers…
MURRAY: “I’m not real sure yet. We could possibly, yeah, but I’m not going to say anything right now, because I’m really not sure of that myself. I’m just going to take today and finish up our review last night, and watch Columbus play and then make a decision as we get ready for the practice tomorrow.”
Regardless, at this moment there’s plenty of reason for confidence in both goalies. Quick is 6-0-1 in his last seven games and has allowed two or fewer goals in five of his last six starts. Bernier has allowed two or fewer goals in four consecutive starts.
MURRAY: “It’s critical to have the confidence and have your players, at that position, playing at the top of their game at this time of the year. Every game is so hard and so important. The points that you try to pull out of every game are so meaningful in the standings every day. Those two guys right now, on the back end, they have to make the big save, the grade-A chance against, whenever it’s there. We don’t want to give up too many of those, but it does happen, and to have them on the top of their game like that, it means a lot to the team, obviously. You have to have it. That’s just the way it is in the game. That’s the way it is today. Everything is so tight, one-goal games, and you’ve got to have everybody in desperation mode right now.”
I think it’s pretty obvious right now that we go with Bernier against the Blue Jackets and then have Quick take us back to LA against the Rangers, Isles, and Ducks. We ride this horse until it can’t go no more!!
On a serious note both goalies have been playing on edge and have been dominant in goal with this recent surge I don’t mind a rotation right now at all since both are in a groove.
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Shakes Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
@Dave,
I put this on another thread but there would be something neat about starting Bernier in Columbus. Not only would it give us a chance to use Quick for both games in NY… but Bernier might have a slight chip on his shoulder against Mason in Columbus. If I’m not mistaken Mason took Bernier’s starting spot on the Canadian team’s world junior championship squad a few years back (I believe Simmonds was on that team too- I think). It would be nice to give Bernier a chance to play against Mason..
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Dominick Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
@Shakes,
Your absolutely correct. Bernier was the #1 but had a subpar game and lost the next 2 starts to get them to the medal game, and to win the medal. Canada took some criticism for the choice, but it worked out in the end for Canada. Bernier won the medal as the back up in the end. It would be a great script to the game to have Bernier play that game against Mason.
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KC23 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
@Dave, I think they’ll use Quick for Columbus, Bernier for the Rangers,Quick for the Isles and Quick again for the Ducks.
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just my opinion Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
@KC23, I’d rather see Bernier not play until the Islanders. They are not back-to-back so there is no reason Quick can’t go against the first two. Why waste Quick on the Islanders? Let Bernier get the time against the lesser team.
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5holer Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 10:07 pm
@Dave, @KC23, It makes little difference who is in nets when the team in front of them is playing at a high level defensively as LAK are. Hell, Roman Chechmanek could win games with this club playing in front of him! Terry is mulling the task of trying to keep both goalies sharp simultaneously. A tough task at best, but even harder when you play hunches like Terry seems to play. You can look at stats on each opponent vs your 2 goalies until you get blurred vision, but it doesn’t get you too far really. Its about who is on his game(hot), who is executing his angles, following the puck well and playing off of the D-men at the highest level at that moment to me. In this case you have 2 goalies on the beam with a team on the beam on D, so what to do? Looking at experience you know Quickie has about 2 full seasons+ in and Bernie has even less, but you know what happened with Quickie last season with 70+ games in net…burned up his energy reserves and his mental focus capabilities…in a word fatigued him! Gotta take the time and look at the travel schedule, the classes of the games’ opponents upcoming, and weigh in the experience factors, then pick your poison! The luxury is the skaters are executing the system at a very high efficiency level making it an easier choice to make. Glad I am not making those choices! You win and you are a genius, you lose and you are an A-hole! There are no mistakes to be made really, both goalies are more than capable of winning these games with the team performing as it is now…and finally they are getting into a rythm as a club! Offense is another story, perhaps a murky mess of a story right now. They can muddle through with hard play, smart play and perseverance forcing pucks into opponents nets for now…Lets hope something can be done to help the cavalry on offense by months end, so we can plan on making some noise in the play-offs…Or perhaps help in even making the play-offs at all! This team took about 25-30 games off this season already with their collective heads up the rear ends in those games. They know it and we know it. Its time to perform at a high level for the remaining schedule in order to have a good chance at getting in, or even getting a Division Crown!…Hell, it is there for the taking now! We will have to see what this group of “good characters” (as management always stresses that expression) is made of in the short term, now and thru April and beyond hopefully?
My POV!
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@KidA, The King of Limbs.
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Shakes Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
@SHUCHUK,
pre-sale baby. preeee-saaaaale
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in the power rankings on espn, the Kings are ranked 6th! It said “The Kings are back baby!” LOVE IT! Keep it up Kings!
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Fyzzix Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
@Laura,
Probably the highest-ranked last-placed division team in rankings history!
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Bill M. Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
@Fyzzix, oh the irony.
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Laura Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
@Fyzzix, I agree..I think 6th was a little high…now if we can just get some Offense on a nightly basis, we’d be set!
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Seattle757 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 7:10 pm
@Laura, Well TSN has the Kings ranked at 7.
this is a risky move but i’d play JQ for both the BJ’s and NYR game, then start Bernier on Saturday against the NYI…..that’s probably what’s going to happen…..
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Its odd to see Murray hold off on setting a plan considering both goalies are playing really well right now. I’d like to think that with both of them playing this hot he’d at least get Bernier in one of the three games to not run Quick down.
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Quick should go against the Blue Jackets (division game), Bernier the Rangers, Islanders could go with either guy…
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Hockeysureshot Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
@Steve S., I would give Quick a shot to play in MSG. His idle was Mike Richter and he grew up a Ranger fan. Remember last season Ersberg played at the garden.
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jpizzle313 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@Steve S., agreed except its a conference game!.. and id say after the way JQ played yesterday he deserves to start against the BJs(who have the best team name abbreviation in sports history)
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Token Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
@jpizzle313, I don’t know, when Quick stood on his head against the Red Wings, next game he allowed 6 goals to the Blues, few days later.
I like facts, not gut feel or some crazy notion of merit. Quick did his job well; he earned his paycheck.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
@Steve S., Yeah, I’d go with my starter against the conference team, and come back with my backup, then put my starter back in for Long Island.
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Quick already allowed 9 goals in 2 games vs Columbus this year.
It looks like Nash just has his number all figured out. Starting Bernier might be a new look that pays off.
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Paul G Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
@Token, agreed
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puck73 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
@Token, good point.
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KC23 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
@Token, Ah, good point hadn’t considered that.
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I’d let Quick go up against CLB and the NYI, which are the two “better” teams of the upcoming three opponents. The Rags have a better overall spot in the standings, but they are coming off losing 5 or so in a row, while the BJs and the Isles have been playing more consistently in the immediate recent past.
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5holer Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
@Capt Jam, Who the Hell cares how the opponent is or isn’t playing recently? That should not be the main consideration ever, unless you are a hapless floundering team at the bottom of the pack. Even then your concern is how your team is playing! You have some control over that circumstance, but no control over an opponent. And its best to work with things you can control (at least to some degree can control). Not to say that a coach can control his team totally, as it would be naive to think that. Hell, you would never lose a game if that were true! At least you can work with your group to prepare them to a larger extent, leaving the playing of the game up to them to execute or not, as they choose. If all you are preoccupied with is how the opponent is playing at the time you play them, you will never win a game! Stop coaching here and just be a fan and watch the game unfold in front of you. Is everyone on this post a coach, a GM and a pro scout? Oh I know, you were all Referees too! Yikes, I need change back for my nickle here!
Say Good Night Gracie! Good Night Gracie!
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Capt Jam Reply:
February 15th, 2011 at 7:15 am
@5holer,
Are you freakin’ serious, Aholer?? Recent play is the MOST important consideration in any professional sport. Recent play is one of the primary reasons for employing scouts in pro sports, who are not only watching individual players but upcoming opponents as well. Recent play is why TM purees his line combos after every loss and usually leaves them alone when they win. Recent play is why TM stated he’s going to watch a recent BJs game to prepare. Pro sports is ALL ABOUT ‘what have you done for me lately’. Your notion is simply naive and dim, Aholer.
And, since you called me out, if you can find your way to research this blog, you will find that I correctly predicted the goalie split of the WAS/PHI games. While that doesn’t mean I’m going to be right all the time, Aholer, it does mean that my recent play has been at least a little better than yours lately.
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Looking ahead to next week…
Quick or Bernier vs the Quacks?
Quick or Bernier vs the Wild?
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Ask Quick .T.M.
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at this point i dont care who plays, quickie and Bernie have showed they can get it done. with that said, quick’s record against Columbus this year is not ideal and i would give Bernie the start! other than that, like i said i wouldnt be disappointed either way.
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Both BJs games occurred during this season’s slumps. I wouldn’t worry about playing Quick against them now.
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In other NHL news kris versteeg has been traded to the flyers for 2 draft picks. 1 first and 1 third
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JB Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
@KH, This whole trade deadline is going to make me into a nervous wreck. I kind of like Versteeg and thought maybe LA would be in on him. He’s not the savior to LA’s need for scoring but given the stockpile of young talent I think Kings can stand losing a couple future draft picks. Can’t believe Toronto would trade him to a fellow Eastern conference rival. Well rival might be a stretch given the standings but Philly’s first round pick ain’t going to be that high. Maybe some of the knocks on Versteeg are valid if Toronto was willing to part w/ him for just picks. Or maybe Burke is just desperate to get some picks given the price he paid for Kessel. What a tool.
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puck73 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
@JB, I like Versteeg as well, a real character guy that Chicago misses, along with Big Buff. That being said…you and I know Lombardi doesnt trade away picks, especially not a #1 ! He hasnt so far to this point at least…stay tuned ?
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5holer Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
@puck73, Yeah Versteeg is alright I guess, but I would not lose any sleep about not getting him. I’ll keep the 1st rounder instead, its too much value for Steegs! Versteeg bounced around quite a bit before landing on his feet in Chicago. Who wouldn’t have landed on his feet in Chicago last year? Keep on Chooglin Fooglin ain’t all that much either, at least not yet? Maybe, maybe not? It was the sum of the parts and not this part or that part with the Hawks last year. That is still a fine core in Hawkdom, just need a puck stopper with this lesser depth chart group they have now. Tallon killed their Cap-enomics, but got his going away present for it..a nice shiny Stanley Cup, not a bad trade! Tallon will do the same in Florida in about 5 years, if he gets cooperation from ownership? Yeah, the same thing as in kill the Cap-enomics for them, but with No Cup. Tallon is a loose cannon to me. He was a Overall first rounder, but fell short of expectations in Vancouver many years ago as a player. The pattern seems to follow him in management too. Lombardi is on another planet then Tallon. Lombardi is Iron Clad, stays the course, a shrew, a thinking mans’ manager with a plan for all seasons. Operative words “all seasons”, especially once the dye is cast as it is now in LA. He got bitten by a wise man in Lou Lamoriello last off season, but he knows his hand, his stable and what is in his pocket…just wind him up, put in some fresh new batteries and let him go and it will turn out a helluva lot better then it has for 40+ years before him! There is no viable argument against him so far! He is the right guy at the right dance with the right music playing. He’ll calculate the right move at the right price and God Forbid only for the right “character”, and find a trading partner to match his end game, count on it. Has he made some oversights, mis-steps in earlier deals? Yeah, one could argue that he may have on some as they turned out, but there is no directions or owners manual to read first…Its a crap shoot with players/humans and you can never know how it will result. He will hedge all his bets, keep a trump card close to the vest and jump at the right fit as he sees it. We no longer have to worry about these things here. We just need to worry about Liewecke pushing his hockey none-sense will over on Dean! Go back to Farmer’s Field Tim and set up shop there for a few hundred years! Lose your keys to Staples Center would ya? Finally some hockey people to run the hockey club! Wow! What a relief it is too! This scoring punchless, goal squandering managerie of an offensive juggernaut club is a couple of points from taking the Division in spite of themselves! And in these posts all I ever read is sniveling whiners crying about “fire the coaches, dump Lombardi, give up 1st round draft picks for 30 something flash in the pans, trade gold for fools gold and the like”! Its pathetic to read stuff like that, when the alternative should have made the point crystal clear by now after over 40 years of haplessness!
Good Night Gracie!
Perhaps TM doesnt have an answer cause Jonathan Bernier is going to be traded. Just an assumption.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
@kingme81, …and your assumption is based on what?
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kingme81 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Really not a very good assumption, but with the trade deadline comming, and Bernier being a great bargaining piece, i could see him being traded. Also TM usually has already figured out who is going to be in net for next game. So thats where I get that assuption. Like i said, its not a very good one, but i like to think that the Kings will be getting some amazing player before trade dealine.
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broncokings Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
@kingme81, i doubt they will trade Bernier, so the kings would call up Zatkoff or Jones.
i do wonder who they were scouting in Florida though….
puck73 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
@kingme81, The only way Jon Bernier gets traded is if Uncle Lou sends us 26 year old Zack Parise…Otherwise……go fly a kite Lou !
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kingme81 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
@puck73, True that.
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KC23 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
@puck73, He is a free agent so we’d be losing Bernier for a rental? I don’t think so.
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wow.. Versteeg to Philly For !st and #rd round draft pick
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Just watched Stoll and Smith play together in !st Winter Heritage 2003 in Edmonton.
Weird how long ago that was. Different hockey back then,
Hemsky played with them also. Stoll got a goal.
geezer line is correct..
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Kings system does not ask goalies to do whole alot. Just make the first save. I would want JB to start against teams that dump and chase. Rangers do that very well. JB can flatout handle the puck better.
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This is a no brainer if you look at Quick’s record. In games immediately following a shutout, he has twice given up 6 goals.
Play Bernier vs Columbus and start Quick vs. NYR.
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JQ is 7-0 vs NY (Rangers, Islanders, Sabres). Throw in 5-0 against Bruins. What you have here is a kid that plays great in front of friends and family. And, oh by the way, take that New England teams for not drafting local talent.
Quicks Da Man
GKG!
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