One of the unexpected storylines of the year and one of the more surprising things during this 11-game point run that the Kings are currently on is the play of backup goaltender Ben Scrivens.
Who on earth figured that when Jonathan Quick went down injured with a grade-2 groin strain that the 27-year old Cornell grad would step up the way he has? It's a fantastic surprise and Scrivens and the King defense have been in phenomenal form lately.
Leading the league in both save percentage (.947) and goals against (1.48), Scrivens came to the Kings in what was seemingly a toss in situation. The Kings needed a backup goaltender and Toronto had one to give back.
Here we are though in late November, and the goaltender who formerly had 32 appearances in NHL games has a 6-1-4 record and has started nine consecutive games without a regulation loss. Pretty interesting stuff.
And if the
interview Darryl Sutter did today with Kings' Insider Jon Rosen is any indication, Scrivens better remain comfortable starting every game. Likewise, the promising young goaltender Martin Jones better get used to watching from the bench.
A couple things come to mind for me when I hear that Sutter could start Scrivens every single game until Quick's return.
1. Why not?
Scrivens has been fantastic, and while I still expect somewhat of a letdown in his incredible form at some point he has earned every right to start every game. The Kings have been competitive in every single game Scrivens has started and you cannot take out a hot goalie. Think about it like the playoffs. Everyone says that you ride a hot goaltender, and that's exactly what the Kings are doing at this point. With Quick slated for a return somewhere at or after Christmas, that's another 15-16 games, including three back-to-backs in which Scrivens will get the call. At this point, unless he has a major breakdown in a game I don't see how you could justifiably take the stick out of his hands.
2. This is classic Darryl Sutter
I'm thoroughly convinced at this point that Sutter could be the best poker player in the world. He never tips his hand, never lets people know quite what he is thinking, and he isn't afraid to change his mind or leave you wondering what his next move is. He says today that Scrivens could start every game until Quick gets back, but tomorrow he might play Martin Jones because he had a good couple of practices. He is a bit of an enigmatic figure when it comes to reading what he is going to do. The one predictable thing about Darryl Sutter, is that he is rather unpredictable.
What do you think of the idea of Scrivens playing every single game? Play armchair coach for a moment. Do you ride your hot backup into the ground? Do you give Martin Jones the occasional start? Do you wait until Scrivens has an off night? Do you split the back to backs? There are many schools of thought here as you can see.
While I'm disappointed Jones hasn't really had the chance to play as much as I had hoped, It's refreshing to see Scrivens have such an impact. When the Kings-Leafs swap was announced, all eyes were on Frattin and very few had these hopes or even thoughts about Ben Scrivens. With Frattin struggling with injury and inconsistency, the 27-year-old goaltender has certainly made himself a valuable chip in that trade in hindsight.
Let him play I say. If it ain't broke don't fix it. The Kings are on an 11-game points streak with Scrivens at the helm. Don't touch it.
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