LA Kings: Shutout proves Jonathan Quick not going away quietly

Jonathan Quick looked like a younger version of himself in the LA Kings win on Tuesday night. He spoke with the media following the game.

This past Monday, yours truly covered Cal Petersen‘s recent dominance in goal that has made him the “clear-cut starter” for the LA Kings. His partner in goal, though, may have taken exception to that, and it showed on Tuesday night.

Whether Jonathan Quick actually read my recent article on Petersen’s resurgence is unlikely but be that as it may, the 2012 Conn Smythe winner took Tuesday’s outing against the Minnesota Wild to prove that, despite any doubt and any rumors of him leaving town, that he is not going away quietly.

After Cal Petersen got back-to-back starts in goal for the LA Kings — resulting in back-to-back victories, mind you — Jonathan Quick got the call in goal on Tuesday against the Wild. But, if there were any concerns of rust from the silver-and-black — who hadn’t played in nearly a week — those were quickly quelled by a relentless offensive attack that saw the Kings display impressive showings of puck management and creativity.

On the other end of the ice, though, Quick was just as sharp. While he wasn’t tested much to open the contest, No. 32 spent the evening showcasing shades of the Quick of old, making timely saves, keeping his reflexes in check, and even letting his young defensive corps bail him out on the very rare miscues.

When all was said and done, Quick made 28 saves to earn his first shutout of the season, all the while pushing the Kings right back into the thick of the playoff race.

Following the win on Tuesday, Quick spoke with the media about what was his best performance of the season thus far.

“We started the game really strong,” the 35-year-old said. “I think the first period, we were clicking and getting pucks in, fore-checking, making the play in their end and yeah, we just kind of continued that play throughout the night.”

While his performance on Tuesday certainly underlines what kind of competitor he really is, the credit Jonathan Quick gave to his defensemen following the game underlines what kind of character he really is, as well. He may go down as one of the greatest goaltenders of all-time, but Quick is no less humble now than he’s ever been.

“We have a lot of really good, young defensemen,” the netminder noted. “It seems like every couple of nights, you’re seeing someone different, and they’re all chipping in, they’re all playing well, they know the system well, they compete hard, and, you know, it’s fun playing with them.”

The veteran was then asked if shutouts were still important to him.

“It’s a win,” Quick said in an effort to downplay his personal achievement. “I’ve always felt that way. You know, when you get shut out, it’s more usually on the team than the goalie. So, that’s a team stat, in my opinion. So, yeah, I’m fortunate enough to be part of a lot of good teams here.”

If there is a case to be made for Cal Petersen to be the LA Kings’ starting goaltender sooner rather than later, Jonathan Quick will definitely have something to say about that. Actually, he did on Tuesday night, letting his talent do the talking by shutting down a Minnesota Wild team that has quite a few offensive threats themselves.

He is a career King who has brought this proud franchise to the ultimate heights in team success. It also seems like a foregone conclusion that his number will hang proudly from the rafters of STAPLES Center soon and, who knows, maybe even enshrinement into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

That may all be well and good, but for now, Jonathan Quick is still a member of the Los Angeles Kings, and until that changes, he will bring his best to make sure that the franchise he has played his entire career with continues to benefit from his prowess in between the pipes.

The shutout was Quick’s 53rd of his career, increasing his all-time franchise record while improving to 3-2-2 on the year.

LA Kings Schedule

Up next for the Kings are the Arizona Coyotes, who they will face off against on Thursday night in Glendale, AZ.