For Kings, the bottom line this season is goaltending
Posted by TheHockeyGuy on October 1st, 2009
There will be a fine line separating the Kings from the playoffs.
That line could very well be the goal line.
If the Kings are to make the playoffs this season, for the first time since 2002, they will need a number of things to break their way. They’ll need good chemistry from the first line, secondary scoring and even better defense than they got from last season’s much-improved unit.
The bottom line though, as it has been for most of the Kings’ five-decade existence, is that in order for the Kings to win, they must be strong in goal.
The list of failed Kings goalies is long and ugly, but the latest “hope of the franchise” is 23-year-old Jonathan Quick, who thrived last year after a midseason call-up and will start this season as the No. 1 goalie.
Quick, who had a 2.48 goals-against average in 44 games last season, must prove that he can handle a full season as a No. 1 NHL goalie.
“Quick is clearly, to me, the No. 1 goaltender,” said second-year coach Terry Murray, who then selected two-year veteran Erik Ersberg as Quick’s backup.
Click here to read the full article – By Rich Hammond of Los Angeles Daily News
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October 2nd, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I think Jonathan Quick is definitely going to be able to handle the load. They don’t call him Quick for nothing lol. He’s just what the Kings need to drive to the playoffs.
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 pm
One can only hope that Quick is the answer, as the Kings haven’t had solid goaltending since the days of Jamie Storr, Felix Potvin, and Stephane Fiset. But I will say Quick and Ersberg could be the best goaltending duo since Hrudey and Berthiaume in the early 90s if they keep developing the way they are, and with all the young talent they have right now, they have a good chance to make some noise this year.