Jonathan Quick gets things going for Kings after rough start
LOS ANGELES — For a goaltender who got off to a slow start this season, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings is on something of a tear making up for it.
In a 3-0 shutout of the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, Quick stopped 40 shots, keeping the Kings in the game as they generated only 28 shots on goal at the other end. Quick has a three-game win streak going (and the Kings have won four in a row), a marked improvement over the 0-3 start during which he gave up 12 goals.
In an 82-game season, ebbs and flows are bound to happen. In typical fashion, Quick is taking it in stride, staying on an even keel.
“We didn’t get off to a great start those first few games,” Quick said after Friday’s win. “But we seem to be taking steps and getting better. Whether you win or lose, you’re just trying to take steps every day. It’s a long season, so you go out, try and get two points and then move on.”
Quick’s stats (2.16 GAA, .923 save percentage on the season) have no doubt been helped by the emergence of center Tyler Toffoli. The 23-year-old has been on a hot streak of his own, notching goals in each of the last four games, including two against Carolina. L.A. managed just two goals through that brutal opening stretch, and the turnaround by Quick has had a ripple effect on what’s happening for the Kings out front.
“(Johnny’s) always solid back there for us,” said forward Anze Kopitar. “He makes huge saves and really gives us a chance to get things going. It’s just a matter of whether we can get him a few goals so he feels more comfortable. We were able to do that (Friday), but he’s always really solid. I don’t think that needs to even be said.”
After Friday’s game the Hurricanes didn't need to be told. In his element, the 2012 Conn Smythe winner is as difficult as any to crack, and makes the group around him all the better for it.
“(Quick) played a great game,” Carolina defenseman Ryan Murphy said. “It felt like we put a lot of pucks to the net, and had guys in front of him taking away his eyes, but unfortunately we couldn’t get one by him. He played well tonight.”
Just as the Kings tried not to get down on themselves early, they’re committed to not getting too high now. A win streak may take some of the pressure off, but it’s consistency that will eventually separate them from the disappointment of not making last year’s postseason coming off a Stanley Cup win.
“We’re just progressing,” Kopitar said. “We didn’t start off very hot, and now we’re building. Sometimes, it’s not how many goals you’re scoring, but it’s when you score them.”