First… Wow…the response today has been completely overwhelming. Thank you so much. I should have noted that things will remain normal around here for the next week. I’ll let everyone know exactly when the move is being made, and to where. Back to hockey!

Terry Murray has not officially said that Jonathan Quick will start the season opener next Saturday. Unofficially? Well…

“I think, on the issue of our No. 1 goalie, there’s no question that Quick is our No. 1 guy at the start of the season,” Murray said. “He earned that with the way he played last year.”

So while Murray has not officially announced Quick as the opening night starter, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which that wouldn’t happen. A better, more relevant question is, who will be the backup? Erik Ersberg or Jonathan Bernier? Murray isn’t ready to reveal that answer yet either, but gave his strongest hint to date when I talked to him this morning.

“It’s a very close call, because both have played well and both of them have looked good in training camp,” Murray said. “If you look at the way Bernier has developed, I have been very pleased, but for him to be able to continue to play, and play a lot — meaning in Manchester — that would be a good thing in my mind.”

Murray noted, however, that the decision is not entirely his. Meaning, of course, that Dean Lombardi’s input will also factor heavily into the discussion. In the end, it probably makes sense to have Bernier in Manchester as the No. 1, at least at the start of the season. The Kings would need to watch him carefully, though, to make sure he stays mentally sharp and doesn’t get “down” about the assignment, the way he did at the start of last season.