Leading up to tomorrow night’s match-up against the Division-foe Dallas Stars, the Kings face a big question in net. With Jonathan Quick staying in Los Angeles to be at his wife’s side as they deliver their first baby, Jonathan Bernier has been called up from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Which goalie should start; Erik Ersberg or Jonathan Bernier, immediately turned into a hot topic, and Terry Murray has an important decision to make. With every point being crucial as the Kings are in full-stride of a playoff stretch, Murray has to start the goalie who gives us the best chance to win. Do I think the popularity of a hyped prospect in Jonathan Bernier has swayed away from this frame of mind? Yes. Do I think Bernier has the capability to grab 2 points in Dallas? Yes. Do I think he should start tomorrow night? No. And in fact, I’m in very strong favor of Erik Ersberg. Let me explain my thoughts on why Ersberg should get the start.

Why Ersberg Should Get The Call:
Erik Ersberg will be on the Kings bench come the playoffs, Jonathan Bernier won’t. That, right there, is huge to me. Teams that expect to make a run for the Stanley Cup need a back-up goaltender they can trust. Now, Ersberg hasn’t played great, but the opportunites have come few and far between. Let’s not get into stats, because quite frankly those should be thrown out the door regarding this argument. Ersberg needs a couple more starts, some live-action, something to shake off the rust; loosen the nerves. Quick has been great, but goalies can hit a wall come post-season. The fatigue starts to set in, and playing the same opponent consecutive games can be difficult for a goalie to handle. Bottom line is, the Kings, and Terry Murray, should start to realize Ersberg needs to be a viable option down the road. And what better way than tomorrow night? If he loses? Well, I still think it’s the correct decision. Look folks, this is THIS SEASON, the Kings are striding toward the playoffs, and Erik Ersberg is THE back-up goalie. Save the Bernier – Ersberg competition for training camp. Right now, it’s time to test Ersberg; Give the guy a start, and look to build his confidence.

Who do you think should be between the pipes for the Kings tomorrow night? I’d love to hear your thoughts, disagreements, and opinions on the decision at hand in the comments section below.

In what I knew was going to be a tough, but solid match-up for the Kings, the boys from Los Angeles certainly provided a quality performance; A game that had the thrilling intensity that some would relate to playoff-caliber. Two teams contested tonight; Teams with stability on both sides of the puck, and two teams who are built not only for now, but for the years ahead. The Kings were out-shot by a wide margin tonight, but produced 32 shots on Chicago goaltender Antti Niemi, not a number the Blackhawks allow very often.
The Chicago Blackhawks are tied for first in the Western Conference with the San Jose Sharks and are a favorite come the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, tonight was a big test for the Kings, and they proved they’re on the verge of becoming a playoff threat. On the road, in Chicago, where the NHL buzz revolves around two young hotshots known as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Kings were one neutral zone turnover in OT from having the opportunity to beat one of the elite teams in the league. Below are my notes from the game:

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Notes on the Game:
– On Chicago’s First Goal: I’m usually harsh on the Kings defensive play, but Chicago moved the puck down-low perfectly for their first tally. Patrick Kane and Adam Burish did a wonderful job of controlling the puck behind the goal line, ultimately finding Patrick Sharp for the goal. No blame on Kings defense here, kudos to the Blackhawks.
– On LA’s first Goal: Sean O’Donnell was the key to Dustin Brown’s wrap-around marker, making it possible as he stepped up from the blue-line to keep the puck in offensive territory that had all intentions of clearing the zone.
On LA’s second Goal: Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll work the puck on the blue-line beautifully to feed an open Anze Kopitar who rifled a gorgeous wrist shot to beat Antti Niemi on the power-play. Great puck control on the point with heavy pressure to construct a goal.
On Chicago’s second Goal: Matt Greene, on his back feet, failed to clear the puck, allowing Kris Versteeg to find the puck in front of the net, eventually capitalizing on his own rebound to tie the game.
On Chicago’s OT winner: Brad Richardson, who was defended well with control in the neutral zone, tried to make the best of it with a blind back-hand pass. A risky play in overtime, Dave Bolland cut off Richardon’s neutral zone pass and fed a wide-open Patrick Sharp who walked in alone on Jonathan Quick and ended the game beating a helpless Quick on the back-hand side.

With the Olympic break finally over, the playoff push for the LA Kings begins. In this new installment; how the Olympics experience impacts the players, trade deadline fodder, exclusive coverage of the Stars game from Dallas correspondent Chris Bond and a special “international” shoutout.

The Vancouver Olympics are winding down and the Hockey medal race is in full swing. We take a look at the historic USA vs Canada game, present our game viewing experience and discuss this years hockey rules. Question of the Day: Who is the MVP of Mens Hockey at the Olympics so far?

Nearing the crucial games that will be documented as the “playoff-stretch”, I’m taking a look at each player on the Kings roster and evaluating them with a grade on their performance thus far. A roster that has worked together to post a 37-20-4 record (78 points) at 5th place in the Western Conference has to be doing something right, Right? Which players have contributed most? Which players have disappointed? In Part 1 of a 3-Part series, we’ll take a look at the goaltenders of the Los Angeles Kings. With 166 goals allowed, the Kings stand at 8th in the Western Conference, and 12th in the entire NHL.

GOALTENDERS

#32 JONATHAN QUICK

GRADE: A+

A great way to start off this whole rating process, huh? Makes me look like an easy grader, but let’s be honest; would it be fair to mark Quicker any lower? In his second full season in the league, Quick has already started 55 games. What Fatigue? Quick is 1st in the NHL in goals allowed (139) and Victories (35). He has proven time and time again this season that he has the ability to perform at an elite level on a consistent basis. What I’ve been most impressed with? Quick’s poise. We’ve seen a few sloppy starts from him this season, but how he reacts to these slow starts is striking. Plenty of times Quick has made remarkable saves that have changed the momentum of a game, and that is huge for the players in front of him. The team has confidence in his play, and the Kings know they can be more aggressive offensively after falling behind because of having a goalie who knows how to regroup & compose. Bottom Line: Quick is a young goalie who has validated himself in having the traits of being a prestigious goaltender. With a young roster, it is key to have a persistent leader in net to spread confidence, and ultimately, success.

#31 ERIK ERSBERG

Grade: C-
With Jonathan Quick having such a stellar season, Erik Ersberg hasn’t seen a lot of ice-time. Ersberg has faced action in only 8 games so far, allowing 20 goals. You have to realize, though, Erberg’s situation isn’t very easy. He has been called upon rarely this year, which gives him no groove to work with. His starts often come so far apart, he’s rusty in terms of live-play. The reality of the situation is that a backup goalie needs to take full advantage of the few opportunities he has, and Ersberg has not done that. He has been average at best, but I’m marking him just below. This year, the Kings haven’t developed a confidence in Ersberg. You could argue that he hasn’t seen enough ice, and you could argue that Terry Murray is relying too heavily on Quick. But, how can you blame the guy? So, it’s tough to grade Ersberg, but an NHL back-up needs to be ready to provide stability in net whenever called on, no matter how infrequently. Bottom Line: Erik Ersberg will have a few more appearances this season; And one, if not more will be important games. Back-up goalies can be the difference late in the season, can Ersberg step up?

Part II: “Dancing in the Reign” on Kingscast.net will be pulling out the grade-book on Kings defensemen on the next installment on Kings Grade Reports. What would you grade King’s goaltenders so far? Please post comments downstairs!

With the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games in full effect, we take a look at Team Canada & Team USA’s chances at Olympic gold as well as what Los Angeles Kings will make an impact on their respective teams. Question of the Day: Which Olympic teams get the gold, silver and bronze?

The Los Angeles Kings had a very nice send-off for the Olympians on the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. In total, the two teams are sending eight players to Vancouver (five for Los Angeles, three for Colorado). With the exception of Salei (playing for Belarus), the other seven player all have a shot at medaling. Enjoy the video!

LOS ANGELES — With the 2010 Olympic Winter Games now in full swing, the hockey world is now focused on Vancouver and, more specifically, on the men’s Olympic hockey tournament beginning today.

Five Los Angeles Kings players are in Vancouver, including right wing Dustin Brown (United States), defenseman Drew Doughty (Canada), center Michal Handzus (Slovakia), defenseman Jack Johnson and goaltender Jonathan Quick (USA), and they are chomping at the bit, raring to go.

“I couldn’t wait for it to happen,” Doughty said about the Olympic tournament. “It’s been in the back of my mind even though my main focus is the Kings. I can’t wait to get to Vancouver and get the games going.”

Speaking of being unable to wait, Johnson left the Kings with permission on February 12 to participate in the Opening Ceremonies.

Even though the Kings had played the night before and had another game on February 13, Johnson was not going to miss the Opening Ceremonies—he wanted the full Olympic experience.

“It’s the opening ceremony of the Winter Games,” Johnson exclaimed. “It’s a no-brainer. I had the opportunity, so why waste it? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I’m fortunate enough to play in the next one, it’s in Russia. I can’t just go over and back.”

Johnson not only walked into Vancouver’s BC Place with the US Olympic Team during the Parade Of Nations, but he also got the opportunity to meet his teammates in other sports and bond with them.

“Last night, when we gathered up all the athletes, we didn’t know each other, we didn’t even know what sport each other played,” he explained. “But, instantly, you’ve got that bond and connection because you’re all representing the USA.”

“It was the coolest experience I’ve ever had in my life, it’s something I’ll never forget. It was something that meant a lot to me to get the full Olympic experience.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

With a winning streak of 9 games in a row, there’s plenty to celebrate in LA Kings nation. Together with special guest Alex Kinkopf of ‘Dancing in the Reign,’ we cover the Saturday game against Detroit, discuss missing pieces and present a brand new Fan of the Game. Our question to you, Where does Jonathan Quick rank amongst all time Kings goaltenders?

The LA Kings are on fire. In this episode we talk about the Kings 8-game win streak, give our thoughts on the game against the Anaheim Ducks, interview a guy who didn’t have an NHL team to cheer for and discuss the Devils trade for Ilya Kovalchuk. Question of the Day: Who should the Los Angeles Kings trade for at the deadline?

John T. Meyer’s PickMyNHLTeam.com