If you asked fans to describe Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick in one word, you might wind up with a lot of different answers.
After winning two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy, some might call him a “winner.” After looking at his save percentage numbers the past two seasons, some might call him “overrated.” Others may see how he performed against the New York Rangers and say he’s “clutch.”
So is Quick one of the greats or is he just an average goalie that’s lucked out?
Last season, Quick’s numbers weren’t anything to go wild over.
His .915 save percentage didn’t put him in the top 20 amongst goalies in the NHL in the regular season. Backups Ben Scrivens (.931) and Martin Jones (.934) played strong while Quick was out with injuries and helped keep the Kings afloat in what was a brutal Pacific Division.
In the postseason, Quick’s play nearly cost the Kings in the first round against the San Jose Sharks. The potent Sharks offense plundered the Kings for 17 goals as they rushed out to a 3-0 series lead. Quick’s save percentage through those first three games was a paltry .851.
After that, things improved fast for the 28-year-old from Connecticut as he held the Sharks to four goals total in the final four games of the series as L.A. rallied to win in seven - good for a .963 save percentage.
In disposing of the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Rangers in the next three rounds, he went full Spaghetti Western over the course of the three series. He was “good” against the Rangers with a .932, “bad” against the Ducks with a .915, and “ugly” against the ‘Hawks with a .889. Unsurprisingly, the series he was “good” in was the one that didn’t go seven games. It also clinched the Kings their second Stanley Cup in three seasons.
All told, his playoffs performance saw him skate away with another Stanley Cup while putting up a below-average save percentage of .911 through the full postseason. What’s not shocking? The fact that he doesn’t care about stats in the playoffs.
Compare that to his unbelievable 2011-12 season that may have been the best we’ll ever see out of him. A .929 regular season save percentage followed by a .946 in the postseason along with a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe is a tough thing to repeat. Throw in the fact he’s got nine years left on his 10-year, $58 million deal and wondering if he’s worth paying that much money until 2022-23 is an honest thing to do.
So just what kind of goalie is Quick?
Essentially he’s a wild card that has the benefit of having a great team surrounding him. If you ask the Rangers or Sharks about him, you might get an exasperated sigh built around missed chances and highlight-reel saves. Truth is, we may never seen him play as well as he did in 2011-12, but now he has the playoff résumé to do a lot of the talking for him.
