The puck went in, T.J. Oshie turned and skated back toward the American bench, and before he could cement himself as the early favorite for America’s Olympic hero, he stopped and pointed a big gloved finger in the air back towards his own goal, where Jonathan Quick came charging forth.
“We don’t get the win without Quickie shutting the door there,” Oshie told NBC Saturday, just moments after he went 4-for-6 in the shootout, including five turns in a row, en route to a 3-2 win over the hometown Russians in Sochi.
Yet as Oshie was receiving all the acclaim, his first response was to credit Quick, the Los Angeles Kings netminder who stopped Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin, not just in the shootout but in the hard-fought 65 minutes prior, and gave the first week of games its defining moment.
Therefore, it wasn’t much of a surprise when coach Dan Bylsma named Quick the starter for Wednesday’s quarterfinal match against the Czech Republic, the first elimination game for the rolling U.S. team. The incumbent in nets, Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, will now sit and watch four years after giving up the “Golden Goal” to Sidney Crosby and the Canadians in overtime of the gold-medal game in Vancouver.
The announcement of Quick’s assumed starter status came quietly after Tuesday’s practice, just before the Czechs almost blew a 4-0 lead over the Slovakians, hanging on to win, 5-3. The understated proclamation of Quick as the U.S. starter seemed to be just fine for the soft-spoken kid from suburban Connecticut.
“Guys are playing great in our own end,” Quick told reporters, “and competing in front of the net when there are rebounds.”
Quick played the first two games for the Americans, giving up three goals on 54 shots, making 29 saves against the Russians and keeping them to just a 3-for-7 success rate in the shootout. Bylsma then allowed Miller to get a chance to play in Sunday’s 6-1 drubbing of Slovenia, keeping Quick primed and ready for the week-long grind, hoping to put the United States in place for a gold medal come Sunday.
Quick, 28, grew up just outside of New Haven, Conn., and after his first year at UMass-Amherst, was drafted in 2005 by the Kings in the third round, 72nd overall. He then played another year in college before joining the pro ranks, where his penchant for being quiet took on new heights.
During the 2007-08 season in the AHL, Quick missed a coach’s meeting after oversleeping, according to Sports Illustrated. Known for his propensity for sleep and his ability to do it through any attempted wake-ups, Quick missed the meeting and was promptly demoted to the ECHL.
It didn’t take long, however, for his ability to elevate him rapidly through the ranks, eventually reaching the NHL, where he occassionaly plays against Matt Moulson, the former Islander and current Sabre who married the sister of Quick’s wife, Alicia, making them brothers-in-law.
In 2012, Quick led his Kings to a Stanley Cup win over the Devils and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
By the time last summer rolled around, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi was so confident in Quick he traded his backup, Jonathan Bernier, to the Maple Leafs. That left Quick as the Kings’ primary goalie and the main reason once the NHL season resumes next week, they will be right in the mix of competing for another championship.
Yet before then, Quick has a chance to bring home some hardware for his home country. If that hardware is gold, he won’t need anyone to point at him in order to get his recognition.