Bernier to play all three periods in Kings’ exhibition at Staples
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Goaltender Jonathan Bernier, currently third on the Kings’ depth chart behind Jonathan Quick and Erik Ersberg, is scheduled to play all three periods of the Kings’ split-squad exhibition game against the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday at Staples Center. His backup will be Martin Jones.
Ersberg and Jeff Zatkoff were sent to Glendale, Ariz., to mind the nets in the other split-squad game against the Coyotes -- who apparently won’t have Coach Wayne Gretzky behind their bench. Gretzky, caught up in the mess surrounding the team’s bankruptcy and sale, has not been carrying out his duties during the Coyotes’ training camp.
Kings Coach Terry Murray said he wanted Bernier to play the entire game because he hasn’t yet seen Bernier in a game. This is Murray’s second season with the Kings, so he didn’t see the four games Bernier played for the Kings early in the 2007-08 season.
‘I really have not seen him play since junior hockey in that lockout year,’ Murray said of the 2004-05 season. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing him play an NHL game. I love what I saw with his attitude and the way he came into the development camp--and that’s all it was, a development camp, in July. But his body language, his attitude, his work, everything was really good and I’m looking forward to seeing that in an NHL game.’
The scheduled lineup for the game at Staples Center:
Goal: Bernier, Jones
Defense: Jack Johnson-Rob Scuderi; Thomas Hickey-Colten Teubert; Joe Piskula-Drew Doughty
Forwards: Ryan Smyth-Anze Kopitar-Justin Williams; Teddy Purcell-Andrei Loktionov-Oscar Moller; Kyle Clifford-Brayden Schenn-Jurag Mikus; Richard Clune-Peter Harrold-Kevin Westgarth.
The scheduled lineup for the game at Jobing.com Arena: Goal; Ersberg, Zatkoff
Defense: Davis Drewiske-Matt Greene; Andrew Campbell-Viatcheslav Voynov; Drew Bagnall-Alec Martinez.
Forwards: Alexander Frolov-Michal Handzus-Wayne Simmonds; Brad Richardson-Gabe Gauthier-Trevor Lewis; Dwight King-Justin Axevedo-David Meckler; Raitis Ivanans-Marc-Andre Cliche-John Zeiler.
More later at www.latimes.com/sports
-- Helene Elliott