L.A. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner from last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, is taking his last loss to heart.
The Kings had just tied Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings with 53 seconds remaining in the third period. Just 48 seconds later, Quick surrendered the winning goal with only five seconds left in regulation. So far, Quick is 3-4-2 on the season and the Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champs, are 14th in the Western Conference as of Friday morning.
“You’re going to have some ups and down and you’re going to give up goals that you’re going to want back. ... It’s how you handle it,” Quick said to the L.A. Times on Thursday.
Meanwhile, back-up Jonathan Bernier was solid in the Kings’ 4-1 win over the stumbling St. Louis Blues on Monday.
So, now it would appear as though head coach Darryl Sutter has a decision to make, as the Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
Sutter, as L.A. Times Kings’ beat reporter Lisa Dillman pointed out, wouldn’t name his starter Thursday.
But Sutter does need one of his goalies to get on a winning streak, and he is expecting more of Quick. The Kings hit the quarter mark of the season Friday, and they are five points out of a playoff spot.
The Kings are also hoping for more out of defenseman Drew Doughty.
The 23-year-old Doughty has four assists in 11 games, and is a minus-seven in the last five games.
“He has to clearly play better in his own zone,” Sutter told the L.A. Daily News.
“That’s not really a surprise. When the team has only given up three or four more goals in terms of for and against and you have three or four players that are significantly off - that’s not a team issue.”