Bernier and Quick at Practice (2/13) – Photo: J. Escalera
By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •
A very sparse pregame skate saw Jonathan Quick take the ice with Richardson, Drewiske, Martinez, Ellerby and Muzzin. Absent, of course, was last night’s 2nd star, Jonathan Bernier who appears set to start in back-to-back games. Quick, Ritchie and Whiskey ended up staying on the ice for a good hour giving a fairly clear indication that JQ will fill the role of backup tonight, while the other two will again be healthy scratches.
*Stick Tap to Player-X over at HoldThePoint.com for providing the headline to this story as well as commentary in Part 2 below.
KND Pregame Report Part 1
Part 2 – Quick/Bernier Analysis
Quick takes a breather during an hour long pregame skate at TSC
I don’t like this decision if Bernier ends up starting. I agree he has done well but I am afraid this will be at the expense of Quick’s confidence. To me, that isn’t worth it.
Quick is a grown man. He knows what he needs to do to make himself better. Sutter probably wants Quick to continue to work on a few of his weak spots before getting back into the game. Quick is not a child with a fragile ego. He can handle taking the backseat right now. It’ll probably make him hungrier to improve to get back into the game
Agree to disagree. I know he isn’t a child but I have worked with athletes and their confidence is extremely important to them and, surprisingly, more fragile than you may think. If you heard Bernier’s interview last night when asked what has been the difference for him this season he flat out said “confidence.” I do believe Quick is lacking it a bit right now and the sooner he gets it back up, the better it will be for the team. I don’t support keeping him out for long periods of time and expecting him to perform to his playoff style the first game he gets in if he has been out over a week. No athlete is expected do that. We have all heard it before, game style playing is very different than practice style playing. It would take any athlete more than a couple minutes to get back into the quickness of play after being out a while and, unfortunately, the LA Hockey Media won’t allow for that.
I agree that game playing is different than practice and yes, he needs to play in games in order to get better (which we’ve seen happen already this season). It just feels to me that people think Quick’s ego needs to be coddled. I maintain that a little competition is healthy and I don’t see how it’s damaging when it makes you want to go out there and be better.
Who knows, maybe all this speculation is for naught and DS has a plan in mind.for his goalies.
So what does Bernier sitting for how many games while Quick has been struggling, then comes in and hasn’t lost a start plug into your theory? Quit making excuses for Quick and ACCEPT that Bernier has been playing lights out so far. It’s NOT a bad thing, we’re winning games.
Go Kings
Well Bernier’s lack luster performance last season fits into my theory just fine. And I would not consider his playing as “lights out.” He has played well but I have yet to see any standing on his head/shutouts as of yet. I just love how people are so quick to attack other people’s opinions. Just my opinion people. No need to attack it.
Or at the expense of complacency. Maybe this is what it takes to light a fire under him to get him back where he was. Not that he’s been bad this year overall but he’s shown signs of undisciplined play even when given the reigns as #1. As I said, it’s a surprising move but I’m not really worried about his confidence. I’m more worried about overconfidence if anything and I’m starting to think this may give him the focus he needs to find that consistency. Hunger is a very powerful motivator and Bernier seems to be starving more than Quick.
yeah…this is more about quick than bernier right now…
i agree with army that jb is hungrier, out to prove the or-gan-izzz-ation wrong…or perhaps, make them think twice…about jq as the quicker picker upper for our future…
Nice. Quickie need the rest and time to take some pressure off. After last night’s game I said Bernier is now the #1 goalie. That is just for now. Give him five of the next eight starts then Quickie gets back in the saddle.
If playoffs started today its a no brainer – Quickie starts and plays every game.
I see what your saying. In my opinion I think it puts more pressure on Quick when he does eventually come back in the game. People expect him to be at his playoff performance or get a shutout or else he isn’t good enough to be #1 anymore. Just my opinion based on how I have seen some other sites and blogs crucify him.
Well the great thing about Quick is he knows pressure very well and he knows if he’s on his game, he can be rise to elites status because he’s done it. He just needs to play to the best of his ability and he will be just fine. He hasn’t done that on a consistent basis and that’s an issue.
I’m still trying to figure it out. I really thought Quick would start tonight. He put in a ton of work today so I don’t think it has anything to do with where he is physically. It’s just a coaches decision. If the playoffs started today, it seems to me JB would get the start because, well, he’s getting the start!
But I hear you and tend to think you’re right, I’m still processing what this move means down the road.
Gotta give the credit to Sutter on this one. This is a move no one saw coming and he’s got us scratching our heads.
Well played, coach. Well played…
I think we should all remember that this is a team sport. We are very fortunate to have a team with multiple contributors in many areas. Whether Quick or Bernier in goal – 2 very different and great goalies – the 2 points, making the playoffs, winning The Stanley Cup is what counts. I’m pretty sure they will put both their names on The Cup again this year.
Welcome Eva Marie! And I love your optimism. You’re so right about the team thing. Quick wasn’t the only one to blame in Vancouver but he has shown clear let downs in position which is something I thought he would have removed from his game by now. I know he can do it but like you said, we are fortunate to have JB right there in the wings chomping at the bit for a chance to shine.
I am really looking forward to seeing Bernier’s endurance being tested also. This Back to Back should be no big deal for him. right? As for Quick, I think everybody has figured him out by now. He may need to tweek his style a lot more. If Bernier plays more this season, next season he will probably be going through what quick is going through now.
i don’t think sutter is doing anything different than what former kings’ coaches have done…
most coaches these days like to go with the hot-hand…and bernier is red-hot…so, there’s no reason to shut him down…he’s been waiting to prove that he, too, can handle a heavy workload…
regardless, this could be a win-win situation for both “future” net minders…