Kings coach Terry Murray announced today that Jonathan Bernier will get the start against the Devils Tuesday while Jonathan Quick, who has posted three consecutive shutouts, will get the night off.
Kings defenseman Drew Dougthy also will remain out with an upper-body injury he suffered on Oct. 15 in Philadelphia.
The Kings have won four in a row since their 2-1 shootout loss to the Devils on Oct. 13 at Prudential Center.
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Kings expecting another defensive battle
the Kings get a chance to avenge one of their two season setbacks when they host the New Jersey Devils. It was just 11 days ago when the Devils beat the Kings 2-1 in a shootout in Newark. Devils goalie Martin Brodeur hurt his shoulder that night, hasn?t played since and isn?t expected to play tomorrow night, but that doesn?t change the Kings? mindset. In that game in Newark, the Devils played a highly effective defensive game and regularly stymied the Kings? attempts to move the puck through the middle of the ice. Here?s what Kings winger Simon Gagne said today about the Kings? approach to tomorrow night?s game?
GAGNE: ?We have to understand that it?s going to be a tight game and it?s going to be a battle right to the end. That could be a 1-0 game against them. Sometimes, especially when you play at home, you want to do a little more offensively. You want to score more goals sometimes when you?re at home, but against a team like Jersey, it?s something you need to understand and you don?t want to get frustrated. Because that?s going to be a game where you?re not going to have those 2-on-1s, as much as you saw against other teams early in the season. That was the case against Jersey (there), and I think it?s going to be even worse because they?re on the road right now, so we need to play the same way, play our style and understand that it?s going to be a battle right to the end. It might just take one goal, like the last game against Dallas.??
Terry Murray was asked for his thoughts on the Kings? previous game against the Devils?
MURRAY: ?Coming back from overseas, I liked the way we executed overall. It wasn?t clean all the time, but as far as the focus and the energy, the compete was good. We knew we were coming into a building that was going to play a very good game, after what they?d been through in the past year, and they did have a highly competitive game. I thought we were ready for it. I think we had some areas that we need to be a lot better at, and hopefully we can bring that side of the game tomorrow.??
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Devils goalie Martin Brodeur probably won't play on road trip
Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said he can "see the light at the end of the tunnel" for his injured right shoulder but admits he probably won't play a game on this road trip to L.A., Phoenix and Dallas even though he is with the team.
Brodeur, who suffered the injury on Oct. 13, skated on his own in New Jersey four straight days but did not go on the ice Monday at the Staples Center. Brodeur worked out of ice and rode the stationary bike.
"It's going to take a little while," Brodeur said. "Tomorrow I'll go back on the ice (at the end of the morning skate) and face some shots at the end. Maybe (on Wednesday) I can be a little part of the regular practice.
"I'm feeling better. I've been on the ice every day besides today. We felt it would be a benefit to my arm to get some rehab. My trainer (Mike Vasalani) is here."
He isn't likely to play on the trip.
"It doesn't look like it," Brodeur said. "You never know, but I doubt it. I'm happy and I don't want to set myself back. We're really taking our time. Let guys shoot as hard as they want, but not in certain areas. Just under control.
"I'm doing really well but until I start having physical contact, then I'll know how my shoulder is going to feel."
Coach Pete DeBoer said: "He's on the trip, which is a good sign. He's rehabbing daily. He's day to day."
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Winger Eric Boulton also did not practice Monday and said he had an MRI on his injured right hand, in addition to the X-rays which were negative.
"The MRI was good. There is some soft tissue damage I still have to have some treatment on," Boulton said. "I should be day to day."
Boulton suffered the injury with a one-punch knockdown of San Jose's Douglas Murray.
"Every time you go into a fight there is a chance you or the other guy can get hurt," Boulton said. "My hand took the worst of it.
"He's a big man with a big head. Obviously he can take a punch."
Boulton said he couldn't recall breaking his hand before.
"I've broken some thumbs and stuff," he said. "I probably broke (his hand) and never knew it. I've never been diagnosed with a broken hand."
DeBoer said of Boulton: "I'd say because he didn't practice today he probably won't play tomorrow."
With Petr Sykora admitting he pulled a fast one on referee Kevin Pollock in Pittsburgh, serving a penalty taken by linemate Patrik Elias, DeBoer said: "I don't have an opinion on it."
Kings defenseman Drew Dougthy also will remain out with an upper-body injury he suffered on Oct. 15 in Philadelphia.
The Kings have won four in a row since their 2-1 shootout loss to the Devils on Oct. 13 at Prudential Center.
=============
Kings expecting another defensive battle
the Kings get a chance to avenge one of their two season setbacks when they host the New Jersey Devils. It was just 11 days ago when the Devils beat the Kings 2-1 in a shootout in Newark. Devils goalie Martin Brodeur hurt his shoulder that night, hasn?t played since and isn?t expected to play tomorrow night, but that doesn?t change the Kings? mindset. In that game in Newark, the Devils played a highly effective defensive game and regularly stymied the Kings? attempts to move the puck through the middle of the ice. Here?s what Kings winger Simon Gagne said today about the Kings? approach to tomorrow night?s game?
GAGNE: ?We have to understand that it?s going to be a tight game and it?s going to be a battle right to the end. That could be a 1-0 game against them. Sometimes, especially when you play at home, you want to do a little more offensively. You want to score more goals sometimes when you?re at home, but against a team like Jersey, it?s something you need to understand and you don?t want to get frustrated. Because that?s going to be a game where you?re not going to have those 2-on-1s, as much as you saw against other teams early in the season. That was the case against Jersey (there), and I think it?s going to be even worse because they?re on the road right now, so we need to play the same way, play our style and understand that it?s going to be a battle right to the end. It might just take one goal, like the last game against Dallas.??
Terry Murray was asked for his thoughts on the Kings? previous game against the Devils?
MURRAY: ?Coming back from overseas, I liked the way we executed overall. It wasn?t clean all the time, but as far as the focus and the energy, the compete was good. We knew we were coming into a building that was going to play a very good game, after what they?d been through in the past year, and they did have a highly competitive game. I thought we were ready for it. I think we had some areas that we need to be a lot better at, and hopefully we can bring that side of the game tomorrow.??
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Devils goalie Martin Brodeur probably won't play on road trip
Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said he can "see the light at the end of the tunnel" for his injured right shoulder but admits he probably won't play a game on this road trip to L.A., Phoenix and Dallas even though he is with the team.
Brodeur, who suffered the injury on Oct. 13, skated on his own in New Jersey four straight days but did not go on the ice Monday at the Staples Center. Brodeur worked out of ice and rode the stationary bike.
"It's going to take a little while," Brodeur said. "Tomorrow I'll go back on the ice (at the end of the morning skate) and face some shots at the end. Maybe (on Wednesday) I can be a little part of the regular practice.
"I'm feeling better. I've been on the ice every day besides today. We felt it would be a benefit to my arm to get some rehab. My trainer (Mike Vasalani) is here."
He isn't likely to play on the trip.
"It doesn't look like it," Brodeur said. "You never know, but I doubt it. I'm happy and I don't want to set myself back. We're really taking our time. Let guys shoot as hard as they want, but not in certain areas. Just under control.
"I'm doing really well but until I start having physical contact, then I'll know how my shoulder is going to feel."
Coach Pete DeBoer said: "He's on the trip, which is a good sign. He's rehabbing daily. He's day to day."
* * *
Winger Eric Boulton also did not practice Monday and said he had an MRI on his injured right hand, in addition to the X-rays which were negative.
"The MRI was good. There is some soft tissue damage I still have to have some treatment on," Boulton said. "I should be day to day."
Boulton suffered the injury with a one-punch knockdown of San Jose's Douglas Murray.
"Every time you go into a fight there is a chance you or the other guy can get hurt," Boulton said. "My hand took the worst of it.
"He's a big man with a big head. Obviously he can take a punch."
Boulton said he couldn't recall breaking his hand before.
"I've broken some thumbs and stuff," he said. "I probably broke (his hand) and never knew it. I've never been diagnosed with a broken hand."
DeBoer said of Boulton: "I'd say because he didn't practice today he probably won't play tomorrow."
With Petr Sykora admitting he pulled a fast one on referee Kevin Pollock in Pittsburgh, serving a penalty taken by linemate Patrik Elias, DeBoer said: "I don't have an opinion on it."
