Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Goalie Situation

Jonathan Bernier watches as starter Jonathan Quick prepares for a game.
The Kings have two great goalies in Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier. Bernier, the backup, believes he is ready to be an starting goaltender in the NHL. Whether it be with the Kings, or any other team in the NHL, Bernier wants to start.

Continue reading after the jump -->

In Bernier's limited action this year he has shown that he is ready to take on a starting job somewhere in the NHL. Bernier is 4-5-1 in his 10 starts this year. Bernier also has 3 relief appearances this year. In the 13 games he has appeared in this year, Bernier has allowed 27 goals, and has 276 saves, for a save percentage of .911 with a goal against average of 2.29. Bernier also has 1 shutout this year. Bernier was a 1st round draft pick in 2006, when he was drafted 11th overall. Jonathan Quick, the former 3rd round draft pick, is currently the Kings starting goalie and he has been sensational. He made the all-star team, but that doesn't come close to describing how exceptional he has been. Quick has appeared in 54 games and has a record of 25-18-11. Quick has allowed 102 goals in and has 1,395 saves giving him a save percentage of .932 and a goal against average of 1.92, making him 3rd in the league in both categories. He also has 7 shutouts which is good for 2nd best in the league. The goaltending is what has kept the Kings in the playoff race. Recently the St. Louis Blues Brian Elliot and Jarosalv Halak both reached the 20 win mark. This is something the Kings goalies are capable of, but that would call for a lot more playing time for Bernier, and a lot less for Quick. The Kings have lost 5 1-0 games this year, but that's a different story. Bernier has been upset after not being used in some back-to-back games this year when he believed he should have started in one of the games. King's coach Daryll Sutter recently admitted he made a mistake by not playing Bernier on the second night of a back-to-back. Many people believe that once the Kings lock Jonathan Quick up to a long-term deal, Bernier can be dealt to another team. There has also been some thought that the Kings can trade Quick in a star for star swap, and let Bernier be the starter. The trade deadline has passed, so any decision regarding the goalies will come in the off season. The month of March is huge for the Kings. They have many important games, as 9 of their 15 games are against teams that are currently in the playoffs in either the eastern or western conference. 9 of these games are on the road and they have 3 back-to-backs. Look to see more of Bernier in the month of March as Quick will need his rest. Quick will especially need his rest if the Kings make the playoffs and plan on being successful.
-AllThingsKings

2 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the article.. Thanks! I sure hope to see mor eof Bernier. I love this guy. I still think he has more upside than quick.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks! Yeah and the more he plays the better he'll get. He has tremendous upside that's why he was a first rounder. Plus trading just Quick can get you more in a star for star swap. If you want a star in return for Bernier, you'll need to include picks and prospects.

    ReplyDelete