Sometimes you’ve got to pull your starting goalie to catch the attention of the defense. Tonight, that had be in Terry Murray‘s mindset. By my count, Jonathan Quick was only fully responsible for one of Phoenix’s six tallies. Hung out to dry. It happens, just one of the consequences of the profession. Find a proven NHL goaltender who hasn’t been forced to make way for the 2nd stringer a few times, I’d be shocked. Even though Quick wasn’t at fault, it was a good move. Before tonight’s game, Jonathan Bernier was named the starter for tomorrow night’s return to Staples Center. His premature appearance tonight midway through the 2nd period shouldered the responsibility on our defense. They woke up, Bernier got some looks, now you’ve got some chemistry leading into tomorrow night’s faceoff. If you’re looking for a positive outtake on tonight’s blunder in Arizona, look at Bernier’s appearance. Perfect on 13 shots faced in almost 30 minutes, and sent a message to a defense that exposed Jonathan Quick in harsh form. I don’t enjoy doing this, but here’s where you can finger the blame on Quick’s….quick appearance.

First Goal: Jack Johnson unable to handle the puck in defensive zone transition, Scottie Upshall feeds Shane Doan.
Second Goal: Not to take anything away from Keith Yandle, but four Kings’ stared at his back-door feed to Shane Doan. Goals don’t come that way in this league with four defensemen in the slot. They shouldn’t.
Third Goal: Scottie Upshall buries his own rebound from the top of the circle with four Kings’ on the backcheck. Here, you can argue Jonathan Quick allowed a bad-angle goal, but Upshall has no business recovering that puck.
Fourth Goal: Powerplay for Phoenix, but no excuses for this mishap. Scottie Upshall feeds Brett Maclean through Matt Greene, Rob Scuderi, and Michal Handzus.
Fifth Goal: Clear shot from the top, not going to let Quick off the hook on this one.
Sixth Goal: Bad neutral zone turnover, I’ll pin the blame on this even though Kyle Turris‘ shot should’ve been handled.

Expect Jonathan Bernier to extend his time in net tomorrow night. He’s yet to start consecutive games this season, and now he’s got the opportunity to feed off of a promising appearance. The bigger test is this defense recovering from tonight’s mess. Regain composure in front of your back-up, and get your #1 guy back in the crease on good terms.

In what has been a tumultuous first half of the season riddled with injuries and slumps, Rob Scuderi deserves some praise. As for the team MVP at the holiday break, Robby’s in my top three candidates. The 31 year-old veteran is by far the most under-appreciated player on the team. If you don’t hear Scuderi’s name, he’s doing his job. Maybe that’s the downfall to his popularity? Regardless, he’s been the backbone to the roster this season. He’s dealt with the losses of fellow defensemen Drew Doughty, Willie Mitchell, and Matt Greene. He also adapted just fine to the replacements, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, and Peter Harrold. He’s been true to his role throughout, that’s what has made him such a crucial asset to our defense. You want to find a professional athlete who truly earns his money? Look at Scuderi. $13.6 million over 4-years; a golden free-agent acquisition by Dean Lombardi in the summer of 2009. The value he brings to this team is monumental, but the manner in which he does it rarely comes off as so.

The frustrations from the injuries that have plagued our defense have been subdued by Scuderi’s persistent presence. He’s got an astounding +13 when on the ice with 40 blocked shots. Offensive struggles have overshadowed the Kings’ 2.34 goals against per game, which is fourth in the NHL, and the best in the Western Conference. Goaltending aside, Rob Scuderi has stabilized this bruised defensive core to maintain one of the toughest back-ends in the league. The depth he provides covers a lot of ground with holes in the lineup, the defense has been able to hold their own with Scuderi at the stable. He netted his first goal in 108 games on Tuesday, a drought dating back to October 4th of 2008. Rob Scuderi has more game-winning tallies than Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, chew on that. Give credit where credit’s due, especially when it’s been the underlying support of a battered team.

I’m not a fan of the NHL All-Star Game; Never have been, probably never will be. It’s not real hockey, and it’s rightfully dying to the Winter Classic. After watching Jonathan Quick stand on his head yet again last night, I glanced at the All-Star voting numbers for the first time. You’re kidding me, right? And that’s why the All-Star game sucks. As of yesterday, Jonathan Quick‘s name isn’t even cracking the the list of the top 10 voted goalies in the league. Absurd, really. Instead of allowing this insanity to anger me, I’ll take pleasure in exposing the ignorance that has resulted in these horrific voting numbers. Obviously there are a few goalies on the list who have rightfully earned the recognition, but Quick’s absence from that group is simply astounding. I wish I could vouche for other Los Angeles Kings‘, but Quick is the only player on the roster who deserves a guaranteed spot. Is our goaltender being victimized by playing on the West Coast? Did the November collapse damage his status? However you wish to perceive these results, they’re still baffling.

West Coast, Not the Best Coast: Let’s be honest, it’s difficult to earn league-wide respect when playing in Los Angeles. It’s not a hockey town, the time zone hurts the team’s exposure, and the team hasn’t been consistently successful since the early 1990′s. Our arena reflects its surroundings of palm trees and sunny skies, and as much as you may dispute this, climate really does affect the views of plenty of “pure” hockey fans. Hockey in Southern California is a beautiful thing, unfortunately making a name for yourself out of the Los Angeles market is substantially more difficult than other areas. Quite frankly, let the selections for what I consider an irrelevant annual event play into this team’s location. The ultimate goal that is the Stanley Cup, which won’t credit single players, but our team as a whole, will put Los Angeles back on the NHL map.

The Numbers Don’t Lie, The Votes Do: As I scroll through this season’s statistics, it’s clear Jonathan Quick should be a favorite to earn an All-Star selection. The leader in votes? Montreal’s Carey Price. Yes, he’s rebounded with impressive play, but has he been better than Jonathan Quick? I’ll tell you one thing, if you swap these two goalies with their teams’ locations, so do their vote totals. Price, who has played 7 more games than Quick, only has two more victories. Quick’s 1.94 GAA beats Price’s 2.23, as does his SV% of .929, compared to Price’s .925. I could endlessly analyze these statistics that enhance the lack of respect voters have shown for our goalie, but it’s wasted energy. Location, location, location.

Itching for an in-depth description of the Manchester Boston Regional Airport? Moller’s your guy. Back in a Kings uniform for the upteenth time, he’s getting yet another crack to validate his NHL value. Since his inception with the organization as the 52nd overall selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Moller’s numbers with the Manchester Monarchs have been notably consistent. His surprisingly early exit from training camp in September has evolved into a highly productive season in the AHL, recording 17 points in 19 games. Often criticized for his small stature and need for developing strength, Oscar Moller has yet to break away from the short leash that spotlights his promotions. The anticipated debut of recently acquired Marco Sturm will continue the cycle of roster movement, can Moller survive another assignment? Putting the addition of Sturm and future trade possibilities aside, this offense is begging for a darkhorse. Moller’s output has struggled to fully adapt to the NHL level, but his return has granted a good look for now.

Delegating his style of play, I’m not sure how much the AHL has to offer in furthering Moller’s development. He’s not a play-maker, but an underlying presence on both ends of the ice with his quickness. What must be evident from Moller is his pursuit on the forecheck and knack for recovering loose pucks. Both aspects have shown themselves quite clearly in his two games. Maintaining his positioning in the crease is quite positive, as he took part in the offensive ambush Monday night in Detroit, disrupting Jimmy Howard‘s vision, capitalizing on a rebound off of Drew Doughty‘s shot from the point. Strength, not skill, will be the ultimate factor in Oscar Moller solidifying a long-term spot on the Kings’ roster. It’s rather difficult to thoroughly analyze the updated version of the Stockholm native in only two games, other than it’s been encouraging. In a season in which he failed to survive the duration of exhibition contests, he’s got a chance to turn heads with a second look. So far, so good.

He’s yet to get the call since the debacle in Montreal on November 24th. Jonathan Bernier‘s string of three consecutive losses continues to linger. Bernier, unlike the rest of the team, is still suffering from the aftertaste of November’s miserable skid. He was simply hung out to dry, exposed to countless odd-man rushes from offensive and neutral zone turnovers. In turn, opposition abused a struggling defense, capitalizing on a vulnerable goalie. Surrendering an astounding 14 goals in those three losses, Bernier has rekindled Terry Murray‘s dependence on Jonathan Quick. I certainly won’t complain about Quick’s name marking the line-up sheet, he’s deserved it, he’s been nothing short of spectacular. I refuted Murray’s strategy last season as Erik Ersberg played the role of a rotting scarecrow on the bench as Murray blatently overplayed Jonathan Quick. Such a lopsided proportion when it comes to starts shouldn’t reoccur this year. Bernier needs, and deserves the nod soon.

As the Kings’ continue to recover from their extensive slump, it’s important Jonathan Bernier has the opportunity to play his role. Next weekend looks to be the most favorable when it comes to Terry Murray penciling in Bernier as the starter, with back-to-back games in Nashville and Chicago. Should he get the call before? Difficult to say. The defense is returning to old form, they’ve separated themselves from the uncharacteristic play that attributed to a weak defensive zone. As team confidence continues to build, Bernier’s morale is begging for a slice. Uncertainty is detrimental when it symbolizes a second-string goalie, trust must be restored sooner than later. In what hurt this team last season, the Kings’ cannot afford to shoulder too much expectation on one goaltender. It’s difficult to push for Bernier’s return to the net, Quick’s stalwart play isn’t easy to throw to the side.

Let’s not forget what seeded the hype for Bernier’s addition the line-up this year. In his three starts for the Los Angeles Kings last season, the Manchester Monarchs call-up posted a 3-0 record with a .956 save percentage stopping 90 of the 94 shots faced. Since the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Bernier has been one of the most promising future additions to this club. His dispute with Kings’ brass when optioned to the AHL early in the 2007-2008 season caused some concern, but his ability to recover and focus on development tabs that rough start as immaturity. He’s kept quiet during his recent stint on the bench, accepting Jonathan Quick‘s role as the main guy. Bernier has shown the ability to strengthen his mentality, let him continue that growth in contributing to a resurging roster.

Brad Richardson certainly deserved his contract extension this summer, I won’t dispute that. Unfortunately, the expectations laced in the deal aren’t being fulfilled. Richardson became a prominent fixture on the 3rd and 4th lines last year, breaking out with a career high 27 points tallying 11 goals and 16 assists. If his numbers didn’t catch your attention, his nuisance to the opposition should have. His greatest strength is applying consistent pressure to the puck on both ends of the ice. Richardson created plays, whether it was closing lanes in transition or his ability to force turnovers causing skittish puck movement. Offensive depth was crucial to last season’s success, Richardson stabilized it. With the recent struggles Kings’ forwards have endured, a return of last year’s Brad Richardson could provide a bigger boost than many realize.

In his first full season in a Los Angeles Kings uniform, Richardson was a pleasant surprise. His NHL experience was still a bit shallow and he had yet to separate himself from AHL assignments, expectations weren’t too high. Ruthless on the forecheck, he quickly became a reliable asset. As a result, his line-mates thrived on loose pucks. His presence in front of the net is no Ryan Smyth, but he disrupted the crease, opening up the slot and creating second chance rebounds.

I’m not seeing the same presence he held without the puck this year, and that affects his numbers. In 25 games, he’s posted 4 goals and 2 assists, 3 of those goals coming in one game. He’s not going to hit the highlight reel with his output, neither will the majority of the back-end of this offense. Scrappy play is his key to success, and that feeds his surroundings. The constant shuffling that has been adjusting line combinations on the 3rd and 4th lines this season can’t be helping the cause, but in Richardson’s case, that’s no justification. He set clear guidelines for himself last year, and that granted him a contract extension. He’s getting paid to create opportunities with gritty play along the boards and in the crease, and he’s failing to fulfill his role. Oft-forgotten players such as Richardson are just as valuable to overall team success as the cover-boys. The Kings’ saw enough in him last season to take another shot, it’s critical that he proves his worth in solidifying offensive support.

I recently stressed the importance of this homestand, and the Kings’ have been the masseuse to my worries. Wins in each of their last two games have almost completely obliterated the outcry stemming from the previous eight games that granted only one victory. Nothing pretty, but love is blind in this case, now there’s room to breathe. They’ve tightened up in the defensive zone, most notably on the top of the circles, and they’re finally getting a few bounces in the offensive zone. Jonathan Quick continues to play well, and Terry Murray has expressed his interest in leaning more heavily on the goaltender, good call. You can’t ignore the bliss from Anze Kopitar tallying both game-winners, carrying 4 points in 4 games to his name. The Kings’ have gone from 11th to 4th in the Western Conference in a matter of 48 hours, in the form of 4 points. They’ve rebounded against a flimsy Florida Panthers club and the top team in the Western Conference, the Detroit Red Wings. If the Kings’ were able to settle down and reflect with the time and the comforts of Los Angeles like they’ve shown, these are the expected results. Previous eight games aside, they’ve regained hope and confidence capitalizing on a weak opponent and knocking off the top team in their Conference. Good teams beat bad teams. Good teams beat good teams.

This core has been too consistently successful for their recent slide to trigger serious worry. The problems that attributed to the horrendous play weren’t gaping weaknesses, but simply disappointing performances. When you can relate struggle to joint personal output, it’s nothing but bad timing. I’m not saying the victories against Florida and Detroit have shown complete overturn, but merely positive improvement. Isn’t that we’ve been seething for? I will admit that I never thought their struggles would last as long as they did. They were losing games, problems were exposed, frustrations piled up. The remainder of this homestand calls for the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames, two teams that stand at the bottom of the Western Conference. Two teams the Kings need to beat. Factor in the favorable amount of practice time in El Segundo, which very well may be the most valuable asset to this trip, and the Kings’ fly to Michigan on a roll.

The Kings are taking a shot on Marco Sturm. That is if he passes his physical, not a done-deal just yet. Quite the bargain, as the Kings only have to grant the Boston Bruins a conditional draft pick for the 32 year-old forward. I understand the acquisition is nothing to get immediately excited about. Sturm comes to Los Angeles on the Injured Reserve, still recovering from tears in both his ACL and MCL suffered in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. He’s familiar with the Pacific Division, spending more than seven seasons with the San Jose Sharks. He’s a proven scorer with 466 points in 855 career games, but his production has been halted due to recent injuries. For the second time in less than two years, Sturm is missing substantial time with a knee injury. He was able to recover and contribute with 22 goals and 15 assists in 76 games last season with Boston, a similar return in Los Angeles would be a boost to this struggling offense. This is a low price, low risk, high reward deal, which makes it difficult to not be pleased with the addition. We’ve got a versatile forward here, do his abilities overcome the knee injury?

If he comes back healthy, you can expect at least 20 points from the guy. He may not be first-line material on most teams, but could he solidify the wing slot alongside Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown? We’ve got options with Sturm, and I’d bet money Terry Murray experiments with him on the top line. He still has the potential to be a dependable asset to the offense, you can’t ignore the numbers and experience he’s got to his name. The physical presence he brings is attractive, as is his transition in being solid in the defensive zone.

Sturm has yet to play a game this season, but he’s been skating in practice with the Bruins. Apparently confirmation on the trade from both the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings is hinging on results from his physical. Not sure if he’s seen medical staff yet, but it’s got to be the determining factor in finalizing the deal. I’m assuming everything clears with today’s heavy speculation swirling from a number of qualified sources. I’ve got high hopes for the battered veteran, who has a chance to provide stability, leadership, and offensive production. Wouldn’t that be nice.

November is over, I’m blocking it out. Home-ice is often over-hyped, but this upcoming four game stretch at Staples Center couldn’t come at a better time. They don’t just have the comfort of playing in Los Angeles, they have time. Twelve days, four games. What’s going on, Toyota Sports Center? Plenty of opportunities to settle down, watch video, mend the systems in practice. This has almost become too much to handle; Losers in seven of their last eight games holds the Kings at 11th in the Western Conference and living in the Pacific Division‘s basement. I’m done whining about this awful slide, terribly awful. I thought they were going to come home strong against Chicago and beat the defending Stanley Cup Champions in front of a thirsty crowd. I thought they were going to snap out of it and hammer on the Ducks last night in Anaslime. Now’s the time to start fresh, clean the slate, don’t wait for Willie Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarovsky, they can hop on board.

Three of the four opponents coming to LA are teams we need to beat. With a couple of brutal road-trips in sight, the Kings’ must take advantage of a few flimsy opponents at home. Florida, Detroit, Calgary, and Minnesota are coming, the Red Wings are atop the Western Conference, clearly the most threatening opponent. The Kings’ have an opportunity to boost confidence against a few sub-par clubs, and test themselves against a team who has replaced them atop the conference. We’ve got comfort in hearing promising news regarding Willie Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarovsky‘s injuries, but it’s important that improvement is made before they return.

This offense has been surrendering themselves in the neutral zone. There’s no push, no lanes opening, no confidence entering the zone. The defense has been tentative, gaps galore at the blue-line, no early physical presence. These problems aren’t rooted from the abilities of this roster, just bad performances. Don’t try and tell me Matt Greene and Drew Doughty are this bad. Don’t tell me this offense and power-play doesn’t have the capabilities to be a huge threat. A lot of this is mental, just bad decisions with and without the puck. You’ve always got to brace for a bad stretch, unfortunately this one has been drawn out. Please, put the trade talks on hold for a bit, that’s not going to fix the issues that have evolved from this downfall. Maybe for a boost come the playoffs, not now. I wouldn’t mind seeing Terry Murray settle down with the line shuffles and Manchester transactions. It’s difficult to settle down when the lineup constantly changes, let a few things work themselves out. Here’s to a resurgence at home, whaddya say?

*Photo Credit: Life Magazine

Five losses in six games, and it’s got nothing to do with luck. Injuries have bruised the roster, but bad play is the reason for the skid. I’m talking on all aspects; Defense, special teams, and a goaltender. Willie Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarovsky are key players, but their absence from the lineup shouldn’t cause complete abomination. The defense is handing opposition too much time and space, the power-play has been awful, the penalty kill has opened up, and Jonathan Bernier hasn’t been solid. This roster, Mitchell and Ponikarovsky aside, is still too good to justify this terrible stretch. They’re playing soft defensively and cute on the power-play. Good teams still find ways to win without two crucial players, and I know we’ve got the depth, where is it?

Defense: Just throw out a red carpet on the blue line while you’re at it. Add a little spice to it, maybe some orderves. They’re backing down on the blue line, feeding odd-man rushes. Jack Johnson no longer bothers me with this, I’m used to it. Have Matt Greene and Drew Doughty mentally recovered from their injuries? They’ve been behind on plays, notably Greene. If he’s not physical, he’s not much. Rob Scuderi has been solid, Davis Drewiske is himself, just kind of there. The AHL shuffle continues with Alec Martinez promoted in an effort to boost the power-play. Worked last night, about the only thing that did.

Special Teams: The Kings have weakened on the penalty kill. This is one of the problems you can attest the losses of Willie Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarvsky to. They’re both key factors in the defensive zone, and contributed to a 4-man line that sealed lanes earlier this year. As for this power-play that just can’t score, they’re getting too meticulous. Shoot the puck. Jack Johnson has finally decided to use his wrist-shot from the point, which just begs for screens and rebounds. Where’s Kopitar’s shots from the umbrella? They’re not setting up in the neutral zone, surrendering blue-line rushes and dump-ins into easy control and transition for the defense. This power-play situation has no excuses for their lack of production. No one on the IR hurts it’s output, they’re just not taking shots. Too much action on the point to feed slap-shots. Get some slot presence and stop dancing with the puck.

Now to Jonathan Bernier, this has been a touchy subject with fans. It’s clear he’s not getting enough help from his defense, but you need to make saves, bottom line. In his current stretch of three losses, he’s allowed 14 goals. Unacceptable. He’s faced a lot of shots, dealt with an afflicted defense, but that’s why he’s there. The problems that have hit this defense haven’t necessarily left Bernier out to dry, but have allowed room for development on plays. The signs are coming earlier with the lack of pressure on the blue-line, it’s Bernier’s job to read it and deny it. Not happening. First full season in the NHL and still only 22 years old, his recent play shouldn’t trigger complete uncertainty just yet.