OT: 2015 IIHF World Championships
- Thread starter Summer Rose
- Start date
roadrunner
Registered User
Didn't get to see any of these games. Was wondering about Mike Smith. It was super annoying how he sprung a leak for the first part of last season. Is there any takeaway from this tourney that leads us to believe that he won't be such a ninny to start next season? I know there were games that he faced very few shots, and all that. Numbers and highlights looked solid for him.
To me, the biggest parallel between Smith’s success with Team Canada and his most successful season as a Coyote (his first season) is the defense he played behind. That first year, he played behind big, strong veteran guys like Klesla, Rozsival, Morris, Aucoin, etc., who knew their way around their own end. They could clear the crease. We saw a bit of that at the tail end of this season with guys like Dahlbeck and Campbell. Team Canada had defensemen like Dan Hamhuis and Brent Burns.
Our D core this past season was largely inexperienced and more geared toward the offensive side of the game, OEL being the exception as he’s great everywhere. Murphy and Stone both made big strides. Post-Yandle, our oldest defenseman was John Moore, all of 24 years old. Collectively, the inexperience of the D group was evident, but it should be less so next season, especially if we can add in some solid veteran D this summer and mix it in with these existing strengths.
Our D core this past season was largely inexperienced and more geared toward the offensive side of the game, OEL being the exception as he’s great everywhere. Murphy and Stone both made big strides. Post-Yandle, our oldest defenseman was John Moore, all of 24 years old. Collectively, the inexperience of the D group was evident, but it should be less so next season, especially if we can add in some solid veteran D this summer and mix it in with these existing strengths.
Mike Smith was **** all on his own and was the reason the team lost on many nights. The defense was bad, but he was just as bad, if not worse, given his role on the team. There's no downplaying it. He didn't do his job for half the season. Simple as that.
kihekah19*
Registered User
Mike Smith either was told to tank (to earn his ridiculous contract) and like a good soldier, obliged, or he came into the season ill prepared. I'ts that simple, as he is a capable net minder for certain.
CC96
Serious Offender
Probably wasn't prepared. MS said he just hung out in Phoenix last summer, and just played pickup hockey at the Ice Den, which made him pick up a ton of crappy habits before the season started.
KG
Registered User
- Sep 23, 2010
- 4,872
- 744
Yep. This year he is staying in Canada and working with his goaltending coach.
Mike Smith has had 2 years of slow starts. safe to say that was the issue.
