Three of the four games against the Providence Bruins sweep of the Monarchs went to overtime. Bernier started 3 of the 4 games. It bodes well for the future that 2 of the 3 extra time losses had the Monarchs playing strong third periods to earn the right to free hockey. Unfortunately, Monday it was Providence that came back in the third and finished the comeback in overtime, a scant 46 seconds in.
Now I know what every losing opponent felt like with Los Angeles of the Canadiens’ in their 1993 Cup run where Roy made that Cup happen with his overtime heroics. If losing helps players learn how to win, Kings’ fans can only hope that Bernier got that out of his system. *crosses fingers*
It is my honest opinion that the Monarchs showed resiliency just getting into the play-offs at all with so few veterans and coming back from behind in two of the three games of the series. The more these players go to battle together, the more likely that they bond in a way that plain does not happen any other way. Talent is only part of the equation; experience nearly always needs to follow. When I suggest this, I attribute this more to just hockey seasoning but going to war together. These kinds of experiences are what make individuals a team. (Think Sabres before they stopped re-signing their own players post-lockout.)
How many times did Kings’ fans this year lament how the players didn’t stick up for each other? … Lombardi referenced as much at this spring’s Breakfast with the GM. He said something to the effect of the team needs to ride the bus together, hang out after games/practices, and basically grow up as hockey professionals and teammates as a group. There is no short cut to this either.
One of my closest friends today became that nearly overnight when we lived and died at work together when we were under-staffed and overworked. There is no way she and I would have each others’ back the way we do, as quickly as we did, without surviving those days. Period.
For those who lamented Lombardi sending Boyle back to Manchester, consider this. Had he not been injured, do you really think there was a substitute at the NHL level that was equivalent to how he most likely grew as a player and future King with his future big club teammates? If Los Angeles won another game or two, other than watching better Kings’ hockey, what was there actually to gain, really?
Here is some of the Monarchs’ post game article:
“The Monarchs began the scoring with a beauty of a tally at 14:18 of the second period. Right wing John Zeiler lost his stick along the right wing boards but was able to punt the puck into Bruins zone. Center Oscar Moller picked up the loose puck at the center point and did a dip-see-do, spinning around, going through his legs and finally getting the disc to center David Meckler at the last possible second. Meckler was sitting on the doorstep and flipped the puck past a sprawling netminder Tuukka Rask for the early 1-0 advance.
Finishing off the second period was center Brady Murray with his first playoff goal. At 19:50, center Marc-Andre Cliche found himself behind the net to Rask’s right and fed the puck to Murray who was streaking in the slot to slam home the second goal of the night for the Monarchs giving them a 2-0 lead. Center Matt Ryan earned the second helper on the lamp lighter.
Bernier burdened the overtime loss with 24 saves on 27 shots. Rask earned his fourth straight playoff victory stopping 22-of-24 shots.
Manchester went 0-for-2 on the power play. Providence was 0-for-4 with the man advantage.”
OT Phone Home – Monarchs’ Season Over
Some questioned the validity to my Monday blog as to whether you had to learn to lose to learn to win. I appreciated best what a seasoned letsgokings.com contributor, Gescom, said in response to Jack Johnson’s quote, that being that Jack Johnson the 30 year old, a 10 year NHL vet, might have another opinion later in his career than he has now.
Carla Muller Carla.hockeygal@att.net