Kings Coach Darryl Sutter has been careful to downplay Jonathan Quick’s progress in returning from the groin injury that sidelined him less than a period into the season.
But it wasn’t hard to see the significance in two recent developments involving the former all-star goaltender. The first came Tuesday morning in Colorado, where Quick took dozens of shots on goal as a pair of teammates stood near the crease, forcing the goalie to track the shots in traffic.
The second development came early Wednesday, an off day for the Kings, when the team placed backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff on waivers.