Manchester update

The stats on Bernier and Quick are kind of sad. I hope they get better as the year goes on.

I am planning on going to a couple Monarchs games. Since I can't go to Kings games, I have to do the next best thing ... go see the people who might make up the team in the future.

The goaltending does baffle me a bit.
I was hoping to see Bernier tear it up in the AHL.
The expectations are really high on him.
Is he still the goalie for the future.
The way Ersberg is playing lately - Who knows.

What about the defense.
How are Martinez & Voynov holding up?

I have Trevor Lewis on my 3rd line in NHL09..He kicks ass!!

Is Bernier still the goalie of the future? Good question. I've wondered the same thing and got lambasted by some. There's nothing that says he's a sure thing. I stand by what I wrote a few days ago: Lombardi should've brought in Tomas Vokoun.

last season bernier started slow as well. Both goalies will pick it up.

And what was the cost of vokoun? Frolov, Bernier and Hickey? No thanks!

harry,

are you getting line updates for online play? im still stuck with zeiler when i play online

Well who knows. This is the AHL, there are a lot more broken plays and the puck goes everywhere. AHL stats hardly tells who will be good and who won't. Only scouting can tell that. Both Brodeur and Roy turned in meh seasons in the minors before going to the NHL. Jason Laberbera was the #1 goalie in the AHL just a couple seasons ago... Who knows. Not to mention factor in that both goalies are annoyed that they are not already in the NHL. I bet you if Bernier was in the show he was step up his game not to mention he will be playing against much more organized play.

I say give Bernier and Quick a 5-10 game call up this year. See what they can do at the NHL level. I am dissapointed in their play so far in the AHL, though. I really hope Bernier is all he has been hyped up to be.

i agree that stats in the ahl are misleading. defense is usually porous and the monarchs are a young team. they will get better as the year goes on. there will also likely be shuffling with players on the kings going down and vice versa. i'm not too worried about the goalie stats. the ahl is more about getting them used to systems, the speed of the game and monitoring their competitive fires.

Goalie stats in the AHL don't mean much, but it would still be nice if Bernier and Quick were playing their asses off. I am holding out hope that JLB is waived or traded by Xmas and Bernier and Quick are given blocks of games with the Kings in the second half.

Trevor Lewis's number are good news, since this is the season everyone wanted him to have last year (i.e. befitting a 17th overall pick).

Purcell's numbers are a disappointment, down significantly from his team leading numbers of last year.

Scott Parse, who I have been rooting for for some time, seems to be fizzling out, on the Scott Barney Highway to Oblivion. Bagnall and Piskula also appear to be about done.

To answer someone's question about Martinez and Voiyiyiyiynov: Martinez I believe is a -1 and Voynov is a +4, which leads all defensemen, behind only Dravecky (+5) for the team lead. Voynov not only is leading all D in +/-, he's the only one in positive territory. Martinez's -1 is not bad not great (for d: Voynov is a +4, Josh Kidd is 0, Campbell 0, then Martinez at -1, Piskula -5, Bagnall -6).

Moulson played his first game and got two goals.

Kevin,

I'm tired of the goaltending situation holding this team down, albeit I hope Ersberg is the answer this year. It's ridiculous how long their search for a goalie has gone on. Kelly Hrudey was the last decent one, with Potvin providing short-term relief. We wouldn't have Hickey, Moller, or Bernier if Lombardi went after Vokoun. Nashville didn't necessarily want Hickey and Moller, but they wanted the first and second round picks and Bernier. No one knows how Hickey's game is going to translate in the NHL, and they're misguided if they think they do. Obviously, it was decided by the coaches that he wasn't ready. Bernier's numbers aren't exactly impressive right now. Moller is a hard-nosed and passionate player and would've been tough to give up, looking at it now. But if Vokoun were on this team, and with our strong defense, Kings would be in the playoffs THIS YEAR, and probably would have been for the next five years.

If anyone doubts it and has the Center Ice package, just watch how Vokoun carries the Panthers almost on a nightly basis. He has Bouwmeester, Ballard, and McCabe to help him. But the Panthers can't score.

Does anyone know when Lewis moved to LW? LW was a gapping hole in our talent pool, but it appears to be well covered with this move. Wow, 8 pts in 9 games at a new position for a 21 year old. I would love to see what he could do over a season, but he may not last that long there.

The Monarchs, despite what you've probably heard from the Kings folks aren't really all that young.

Marty Murray – 33
Michel Leveille – 27
Denny Johnston – 26
Paul Crosty – 26
Eric Werner – 25
Drew Bagnall – 25
Matt Moulson - 25
Gabe Gauthier – 24
Kevin Westgarth – 24
Joe Piskula – 24
Scott Parse – 24
Davis Drewiske – 23
Vladimir Dravecky – 23
Teddy Purcell – 23
Jonathan Quick – 22
Trevor Lewis – 21
David Meckler – 21
Alec Martinez – 21
Marc-Andre Cliche – 21
Richard Clune – 21
Andrew Campbell – 20
Bud Holloway – 20
Justin Azevedo – 20
Jonathan Bernier – 20
Josh Kidd – 19
Viatcheslav Voynov – 18

*26-Players total
*14-players in the 23 and older group...

Europeans can play in the AHL starting at 18.
NA Players drafted out of Juniors can play starting at 20.

They've won just 2-games in their first ten. They're really just not very good. For the most part an assembly of later round draft picks that are more likely to have careers in Europe than the NHL...