Kings see Bernier settling in more and more

Jonathan Quick is slotted to get the start when the Kings face Pittsburgh on Thursday, but given that the Kings face back-to-back games on Saturday (at Washington) and Sunday (at Philadelphia) and another set of back-to-back games the next week, it’s likely that Jonathan Bernier will get in a couple games during the rest of the road trips. The Kings, it seems, are becoming increasingly confident with that. Bernier, after a somewhat rocky start, has been stronger of late. He has allowed two or fewer goals in three consecutive starts, but only has a 1-2-0 record because he suffered losses by scores of 2-1 and 1-0 (in a shootout). Here’s what Terry Murray had to say about Bernier’s recent play…

MURRAY: “At the halfway mark here, he’s starting to be more of a seasoned pro at the NHL level. He went through a time where he wasn’t playing a lot. Bill (Ranford) came in and worked with him. Kim (Dillabaugh) worked with him. They spent quite a bit of time on the ice and on video, reviewing his game. That’s all part of the process, when you’re a first-year player, to start to figure it out at this level. There’s a different gear that you have to get to, to play in the NHL. Even if you’ve had great success in the American Hockey League, everything is a little bit faster and a little bit harder. That’s the mental adjustment that you have to make, and I think he’s getting there right now.”