NHL scores 2016: Peter Budaj continues keeping the Kings afloat without Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Quick gets a bad rap.

I realize that might sound odd. Quick is a Vezina Trophy contender nearly every season. He’s won two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe to boot. And yet many in the hockey blogging community seem to downplay his actual quality. And I’m sure they have the stats to back it up.

But there’s no getting around it: when the Los Angeles Kings lost Quick for most of the season in the first week of games, it was a pretty devastating blow. It didn’t really seem like the Kings had much goalie depth behind him. After all, they’ve traded the likes of Martin Jones and Jonathan Bernier away years ago as Quick remained healthy enough to absorb sub-par goaltending in their stead.

But with Quick gone, the Kings were left with Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj; two career backups with little experience carrying heavy workloads. (Budaj has played 50 games twice in his career. Zatkoff has never done so.) The punditry had every right to be skeptical about L.A.’s ability to tread water, and Kings fans had every right to lose some hope.

Now that I’ve painted that picture, here’s another one:

It’s really like Quick never left. That record is nothing to sneeze at, especially since the Kings sit fifth in the Western Conference going on two months without their elite netminder. Budaj played his best game of the season on Sunday in Anaheim, holding the Ducks off the scoreboard until the third period.

And then all hell broke loose as Anaheim became a possession monster. They scored twice and threatened to tie it up until one last 6-on-4 power play in the final two minutes.

And, yet ...

The Kings flat-lined in that period. Anaheim out-shot them 17-3. And Budaj kept them off of it.

Eighteen-straight starts seems excessive, but can you blame coach Darryl Sutter? Budaj is exceeding every expectation the Kings had of him in Quick’s absence.

Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 2

Hurricanes 3, Jets 1

Panthers 3, Rangers 2 (SO)

Flames 3, Red Wings 2

Kings 3, Ducks 2

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1. Coaches get mad at referees when calls don’t go their way

Okay, I simplified that a little bit. Or did I?

Here’s the story. The Capitals and Blue Jackets were tied at 2-2 when Nicklas Backstrom got called for high-sticking Nick Foligno. Only ...

Right. His stick never touched Foligno’s face. But Foligno sure acted like it did!

So, naturally, Trotz called out the officiating after the game. He also took it a step further, implying the league should investigate and fine Foligno for it.

I bet Columbus coach John Tortorella, if asked, would say Backstrom should keep his stick down so that doesn’t happen. And I bet Trotz, if the situation were reversed, would say the same thing.

2. Forget “The Forsberg” and embrace the “Sasha Barkov”

Peter Forsberg made this shootout move iconic. So many players have scored on that same move ever since. But Aleksander Barkov took it to a whole new level to beat the Rangers on Sunday.

3. The Jets are exhausted

The Jets have played eight of their last 12 games away from Manitoba and 17 games in 29 days. Since the start of November, they’ve gone everywhere from the East Coast, to Arizona, to Colorado, and then finally to the East Coast for one last three-game swing. They looked like a gassed team in Carolina on Sunday, hanging somewhat tight until they collapsed in the third period.

Coach Paul Maurice is completely fine with this.

Poor Mika Zibanejad.

In the third period, the Rangers center looked shaken up after Panthers defenseman Jason Demers walloped him away from the Panthers net. He got up and even started the overtime period!

And then the horrible happened.

He’s gone for six to eight weeks with a broken fibula. The horrible hockey injuries won’t end.