The Los Angeles Kings closed out their series with the Philadelphia Flyers this season today with an afternoon game at home. The Flyers… have not been very good this year, and the Kings made that abundantly clear in the first period when they outshot the Flyers 15 to 7 and went up two to nothing to start the game.
The Kings have scored 20 goals over their last five games. We are Jewels are used to low scoring games, so we’re not really sure how to respond to so much offense over any period of time. What the goal totals have made it easy to gloss over is the stellar play of Jonathan Quick. The Kings have played five times in the last eight days, including a back-to-back game, and Quick has started every one of them.
Jon Quick stopped 29-of-30 shots to win his 5th straight game; has a 1.40 GAA, .956 SV% and a shutout during streak. pic.twitter.com/AwbRg45yPw
— LAKingsPR (@LAKingsPR) January 2, 2016
It’s not a streak that feels like mere chance either. Quick seems to be tracking pucks, controlling rebounds and surprising opposing players with poke checks to disrupt play. He was stellar on several goal front scrums against the Flyers today, and it took a rebound chance on a scrum to finally beat him on the power play. In the third period when the Flyers finally started to mount a real push, he was strong, including this beauty of a save below on a power play near the end of the game.
Quick save on Giroux pic.twitter.com/LaAI33gy1T
— Stephanie (@myregularface) January 2, 2016
Quick’s save percentage now sits at .923 for the year, a good bit above his .918 average for last year. We’ll certainly be watching this one closely as the year moves on.
As we move through the rest of the lineup, we can heap praise on the first line of Milan Lucic, Anze Kopitar, and Tyler Toffoli as the King’s best line. Not only were they the best line possession wise (something that is rare as of late), but they generated nine scoring chances be themselves, which includes a golden chance Kopitar had only to be robbed by the glove of Michal Neuvirth.
Credit belongs to the Kings as a whole for their work stifling breakouts from the Flyers’ end early in the game. Multiple turnovers and chances were created simply by failing to clear the puck. In fact, both the even strength goal and power play goal were results of failed clears.
We also have to give Dwight King some credit. After a nice give and give and go dance with Marian Gaborik, he opened the scoring for the Kings for the second time since his return just three games ago. He also has three points in those three games. Glad to have you back, Dwight.