Quick feels tested

Following up on Terry Murray's comments on young players with big-game experience, Jonathan Quick talked about the correlation. Quick's resume includes a trip to the NCAA Tournament with UMass in 2007, and an overtime shutout victory over Clarkson in the first round. Then, last season, Quick got the majority of the starts down the stretch as the Manchester Monarchs made a late-season run and earned a playoff spot in the AHL. Here are Quick's thoughts about how that experience might translate to the NHL...

Question: You helped lead the way for Manchester down the stretch last season, when they made the playoffs. Does that experience translate to this playoff run, even though it's a different level?

QUICK: ``Yeah, it is a different level, but we were fighting in Manchester last year. I think we were five points out, just like we are now, down the stretch, and we battled there and ended up sneaking into the playoffs. The concept is the same. The fact that it's on a different level, it might change it a little but I don't think it changes that much. You're still trying to do the same thing. You're still trying to achieve the same goal, by making the playoffs. Even though it was the American League, you're still getting some experience from that. Hopefully that will help down the stretch.''

Question: If I had told you, at the beginning of the year, that you'd not only be with the Kings but that you'd be in a playoff race, would you have considered that pretty unlikely?

QUICK: ``Yeah, I really didn't foresee that happening when I was down there in Manch at the beginning of the year. You've just got to be thankful for what has happened over the course of the year so far. You can't get complacent. You just have to keep battling, and our team is doing that right now. The team is playing great the last couple games here and we're not quitting. We're playing for that last spot right now.''

Question: People wonder if you might be playing too much here, but looking at that Manchester schedule, it looks much more grueling for a goalie...

QUICK: ``You can do four games in five nights. That's not uncommon. A lot of times we'd do Wednesday, then Thursday off, then Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That is pretty grueling. You're doing similar road trips. You're traveling a lot further here, but the travel life is a lot more comfortable than the buses, so you're appreciative of that. You just try to come ready to play every game, that's about it.''