Tagging out: Bernier & Quick at practice – Photo: J. Escalera
By Jon Gillette • KingsNewsDaily.com •
If not for a fluke of a goal, Jonathan Bernier and the Los Angeles Kings would have had a 2-0 shutout against the Red Wings. That was a tough one to watch but, hey, we’re used to that aren’t we? The thing that I found interesting and had me wondering is: why was Bernier in the net in the first place? It seems very un Darryl Sutter like to play the backup so frequently. Dean Lombardi must have gotten in the ear of Coach Sutter because, typically the number one goalie is his “workhorse” and gets the majority of the work with the exception of back-to-back games.
This got me wondering if Bernier is on display for the league (and many NHL Scouts on hand at Staples Center) to see how good he is and increase his value for a presumably pending trade. Or, is Bernier actually getting a legitimate shot and winning the starting spot? This scenario doesn’t seem logical since Jonathan Quick was locked into the mega deal over the summer.
Also, with the list that Jon Rosen provided yesterday, it’s clear that the Kings won’t be able to bring everyone back next year while offering Bernier a raise. So, my question to you is: what is Dean up to, if anything? Do you think we will be seeing a rather big deadline move from the Kings?
i think DL and Sutter are trying to win games. Bernier is playing well, Quick is playing ok – you go with the hot goalie. The fact that Bernier is getting more exposure for a possible trade deal is merely a byproduct of that. If Bernier is still playing this well come trade deadline – they aren’t gonna trade him.
That’s basically my take as well. The start against Detroit is a departure of Sutter’s stated philosophy but JQ wasn’t getting it done so a (good) coach adapts. The byproduct angle is very astute because it really is just that. If there is a deal to be made, JB playing well can only sweeten the pot or even spark an interest. I’m just glad Bernier has been up to the task while Quick struggled a bit there. It’s really great to see him play so solid knowing we have that caliber of a goalie there if we need him.
I have a different perspective on this that I do not think many people are aware of. We all know that Quick has won his last 3 games and has greatly improved since the start of the season. Well what many people don’t know is that there was supposed to be an appearance by Quick, Fraser and Muzzin on Tuesday, February 26 (day before the Detroit game). 45 minutes prior to the appearance we are told that Quick will no longer be attending due to “last minute therapy.” Fast forward to the next day and Bernier is starting and people aren’t sure exactly why and the “Bernier is taking over the #1 spot” rumors start to happen. To be honest, Quick would not back out on an appearance at the last minute without a good reason. I think something became tweaked (nothing too serious) that forced him to need to back out of the appearance last minute and the coaches decided to err on the side of caution and sit him for the following nights game. So maybe DL and DS are showcasing Bernier, maybe not. My money is on that I think they wanted to be sure Quick stayed healthy and decided to give him a night off after some sort of an “episode” so that he can lead the team into March.
Excellent info and point. I often remark to fans about how little we often know when it comes to lineup changes. A simple scratch in one game that could have been caused a deep thigh bruise quickly (pardon the pun) turns into speculation about being in the doghouse, etc. Bernier’s start makes a lot of sense in light of Quick’s no-show. A lot. Next time, get me that info ASAP! I would have loved to know that ahead of time.
Ops sorry. I wrote to you on twitter asking if Quick was injured at practice on Tuesday but I should have elaborated more.
Oops. My bad too, Paul. I saw the Twitter post when the Kings said Quick would not be appearing in Long Beach. I usually recognize those things and text you, but I musta been napping at the wheel. I gotta get used to being a spy I guess.
I’ll text you anything first and just let you figure it out. Sorry!
After watching the practise film, I doubt it. Quick wouldn’t of been going that hard.
D.S. is just trying to win games and give both goalies some playing time. On the other hand D.L. is going to have to let go or trade alot of players to make cap next year.
I tend to agree Sutter will play who he thinks gives them the best shot to win. I started to think, though, that the Detroit game was a national game and would maybe garner some more attention (maybe ten years ago this may have been true with the media and access to coverage these days) But I have been thinking about who is the best decision to keep in the long run, I keep coming back to bernier, his style almost ensures his longevity whereas Quick relies so heavily on his athleticism that I can’t imagine his career can last as long. I love quick and what he he has done but I know one team that loves to have a goalie with an epic contract and has his brother in law on the team… Return would be pretty nice… Naw I am just crazy, keep them both go kings go!
Kings cant afford Bernier next season another team will offer him a contract..If we get draft picks in that scenerio thats OK..But to get nothing would hurt the future. Get value for him and keep the future bright. Can never have enough future assets….
Kings would LOVE for someone try draw up RFA offer on Bernier. Draft pick clean up time.
My take is there are simply way too many games per week in March and this is the best way to deal with it.
Another thing I would be curious about is whether or not the Kings have scouts at certain rinks. Staples Center always seems to attract scouts from other teams (must be the sushi) but I don’t know the regularity in which our scouts visit arenas of other teams.
Also, great insight from LT21 above. That’s a great thing about this site; a ton of great information being shared. Thanks to all for your comments!
Quick is locked into a huge deal. However, it is also very reasonable and so very tradeable. I don’t think DS would stand for Lombardi being in his ear. If Quick’s S% is costing games, then Bernier will get starts. Quick’s great playoff run came behind a ridiculously smothering defense, which may look even better with Bernier’s style. In the long run and with a lesser defense, Bernier’s style is more sustainable. Bernier proved, as did Quick, that he excels with an incresed workload. For most of last season, Quick carried the Kings, as Bernier carried the Monarchs; yes, AHL, I know, but it proves he has the make-up to put a team on his shoulders and run with it. Add to that Bernier’s acclimation to the NHL. Quick gets to swimming sometimes and leaves the net open. It scares the hell out of me. His awesome athleticism makes up for it, but for how long?
In the end, I am overjoyed with having either.
Non-sarcastic comment: I’m happy to see more advertisers, Paul. This is a great site, and I hope this means it’ll be around a long while.