JQ is everything courageous, explosive, driven and admirable that anyone's ever said in here or elsewhere about him. We all know that he was doing his absolute best for us in goal right up until the end. However, it just wasn't happening and I am sure in his heart of hearts he himself knew that with the relatively leaky. oft times flaky, defence he has had in front of him, he just couldn't come even close to pulling off the miracles we have been blessed with having become accustomed to in the past. I think those who said he was probably more pissed with frustration about himself and his inability to hold down his cherished position with the Kings than angry at being traded are absolutely on the money. Nothing has been done by any party in malice. It has just become an all-round untenable situation. We all are LA Kings fans to the death and we shall always celebrate JQ for all that he's done for our team, but we still have to accept the reality which is that this, in the context of NHL business, became inevitable. I can see JQ's form picking up with a better defence in front of him. One that doesn't leave him and the unique style which has been his greatest advantage in the past but which has now turned, with age, into his greatest disadvantage, so cruelly exposed. I doubt very much that his instinctive ability to raise the focus and level of his game going into the playoffs has deserted him, so I think we have every reason to be extremely apprehensive if we do end up going into a series against the Golden Knights this year.
JQ's legend will, of course, live on. His exploits will, of course, never be expunged from the history books, our memories or our hearts. It's sadly just the way things are and I feel personally that once my eyes at least come back into focus upon reality again, I still expect it to all be good. We are the Kings and we're still in the race.
uke:
