A King has returned.
Jonathan Quick returned to the net for the first time since the season opener on Saturday, and the struggling Los Angeles Kings responded with a four goal flurry in the final period to defeat the Anaheim Ducks, 4-1.
Quick has only been on the ice for 20 minutes this season after suffering a severe groin injury in the team's first game. Instead of surgery to repair the groin, Quick opted for a non-surgical procedure that would strengthen the tendon through recovery and rehab.
Initially, Quick was expected to be out for three months, but four and half months later without returning to the rink had Quick himself questioning if he would return at all this season.
"Obviously, when you first get hurt, everything runs through your mind," Quick told reporters after Saturday's fourth chapter of the Freeway Faceoff. "You start thinking thoughts that maybe you shouldn't, and I'm just glad it worked out that I was able to come back and play here."
Not only did it work out, but Quick was surprisingly sharp in his return to the ice, making 32 saves in his first win of the season.
With Quick back in the crease, the Kings coronation into the Stanley Cup Playoffs could begin as the team has fallen out of the playoff picture since the All Star Break.
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The Kings inability to re-sign forward Milan Lucic in the offseason, followed by Quick's injury led many NHL analysts to bury the Kings before the season was even a week old.
However, Peter Budaj has played brilliantly in Quick's absence, shouldering the load with a .917 save percentage over 53 games, a higher percentage than Quick's average over the last four years.
Thanks also in part to Jeff Carter's MVP caliber season, the Kings have kept their heads above water and find themselves just three points behind the St. Louis Blues and four points behind the Calgary Flames for a wild card spot in the Western Conference.
The Kings have 21 games to leapfrog either of those two aforementioned teams and make the playoffs for the seventh time in their last eight seasons, if Saturday's game was any indicator, then Quick's return should provide a huge emotional boost to the team.
"It was exciting for everybody—players, coaches, fans," said L.A. Kings head coach Darryl Sutter who became the team's all-time winningest coach in franchise history with the victory. "It was fun to see. He's an emotional leader in a lot of ways for our hockey club. It's good to have him back in the room."
The Kings have not won a playoff series since they hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2014. On paper, the 2016-2017 roster is not as talented as years prior, but with Quick in the net, L.A. just needs to get into the postseason and then anything can happen.
The Kings first Stanley Cup in franchise history came in 2012 when L.A. limped into the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western conference. Once in the playoffs, Quick and the Kings became virtually unstoppable, losing just four games total in four playoff series.
Quick was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner after that run, and the Kings are hoping history repeats itself this year.
"He's one of the best, if not the best, goalie in the league," said teammate Tyler Toffoli. "He stood on his head and made some big saves when we need them."
Now, with just over a month left in the regular season, the Kings are hoping that Quick can make the biggest save of all, and rescue their season.
When your buds are happy to see you back.
...oh and you can totally take this Jonathan Quick jersey home:https://t.co/RFcqxKBfaV pic.twitter.com/iGLNEW3G3G — #LAKings (@LAKings) February 25, 2017
