News Article: Should Coyotes be concerned with Mike Smith's play?

[The Feckless Puck]

From Craig Morgan: http://www.todaysslapshot.com/nhl-w...iths-recent-play-raises-concerns-for-coyotes/

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[Howler Scores]

Its like Tip is stuck on thinking LoL is still his backup.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

Coyotes should be more concerned about Mike Smith to the expansion draft.

 

[SniperHF]

Still better than most of his play last season. So long as they actually ya know, get Lindback some games I'm not worried about it.

So I probably should be worried about it.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

...Tippett also has to trust his goalie’s instincts...

Which ones? The ones that prompt him to wait for forecheckers to bottle him up behind the net before playing the puck? The ones that make him throw his stick every other game? Or the ones that make him flop all over the place like a carp?

I have no qualms about admiring Smith when he makes great saves or when he has one of his rare bulletproof games, but personally I don't think his instincts are all that trustworthy.

 

[Etch]

“It’s too easy just to play your other guy (in the back end of) back-to-backs,†Tippett said.

WTF does this even mean? If we lose 6-0 we don't need Tip trying to do things the hard way.

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

Its like Tip is stuck on thinking LoL is still his backup.

LoL is Mason's backup on the Flyers right now.

 

[Etch]

I don't care if Smith requested to play both games. We have a back up for a reason. He'll still get 60+ games and get to keep his title of highest goals against in the league.

You can't go asking for the back to back then let in 6 goals. (team in front didn't help but 6 on 27 shots is a bit much).

 

[KG]

Smith is a basket case who turned one stellar season into a lucrative, long term deal behind a top 10 defense.

Maloney should have let him walk after the lockout year when his performance had regressed

 

[Howler Scores]

LoL is Mason's backup on the Flyers right now.

And he already played in 3 games...a mighty 80% save percentage but still. Smith is getting older, let him win one, and sit out with a good feeling the next night. Seems logical to me.

 

[Dolemite]

It's like Craig never watched Smith when he played with Tampa Bay. He's incredibly streaky and his biggest knock against him is his lack of consistency. This is vintage Smith we're seeing this and last season. Can he play better and with more consistency? Yes. Will he? Remains to be seen.

 

[Jakey53]

It's like Craig never watched Smith when he played with Tampa Bay. He's incredibly streaky and his biggest knock against him is his lack of consistency. This is vintage Smith we're seeing this and last season. Can he play better and with more consistency? Yes. Will he? Remains to be seen.

I agree, but last year he had no consistency at all. I think most are getting tired of his flopping, losing his stick, starring at his team mates and maybe to some his arrogance. He's .908 this year, not good enough.

 

[Sinurgy]

And he already played in 3 games...a mighty 80% save percentage but still. Smith is getting older, let him win one, and sit out with a good feeling the next night. Seems logical to me.

LaBarbera has not played a single NHL game this year, he was just barely recalled from the AHL a few days ago.

 

[CC96]

Yes.

 

[hbk]

I don't fully buy into much of the advanced stats; however one that I do believe in is not starting the same goalie in a back to back cross border road game.

 

[Jakey53]

I don't fully buy into much of the advanced stats; however one that I do believe in is not starting the same goalie in a back to back cross border road game.

If there is one knock I have with DT it is his the way he utilizes his back up. I really can't blame Smith on that loss last night, but he could have played better, like the rest of the team. We all knew going into last nights game it was going to be a tough one.

 

[Sinurgy]

IMO the problem with Smith is that he just can't seem to bring his A game consistently unless there's light at the end of the tunnel. It's like he can't dial it in unless he see's the finish line which would explain his repeated late season surges and his ability to focus when in the playoffs. Basically his short game is strong, his long game is week.
I.e. he's the opposite of Bryz

 

[cobra427]

If there is one knock I have with DT it is his the way he utilizes his back up. I really can't blame Smith on that loss last night, but he could have played better, like the rest of the team. We all knew going into last nights game it was going to be a tough one.

Hind sight is always good. I did think he should have played Lindback because we knew it would be tough to win the game, back to back, and we had 3 starters out of the line up. Smith played well the first period and part of the second, after that not great but they did hang him out. Knowing going in that we might get smashed, I would think Tip would not want to mess with Smith's mental state by putting him in that position.

Trying Bods at the point on the PP for too long, and not playing Lindback last night, are the 2 mistakes Tip has made so far this year. Hind sight is always good....

 

[ParisSaintGermain]

Smith has been very solid season aside from his mistake in New York. He has been decisive, has made key stops in most games.

What happened last night was a team that never looked like scoring, gave up at 3rd goal at the end of the second period and that totally collapsed from that point.

I am not a fan of Smith but I think this article is rather premature.

 

[XX]

Can't believe I'm defending Smith but this article is pretty uncalled for. He has had a couple bad goals and that's it. He won the game against the Pens pretty much by himself. When he gets shelled, he gets shelled by good teams with the D playing terribly in front of him.

Goalies are not supposed to stop constant clean shots from five feet in front of them.

That being said, Tippett is notorious for riding his starters into the ground and he needs to be told to play Lindback more often.

 

[Muppet]

Even though he's had a decent start this season, I think most people have been concerned with his play for the last few years. But hey, there's nothing we can do about it, because "We're married to him". Thanks, Maloney.

 

[BUX7PHX]

Short answer: everyone should be minimally worried

Long answer: this season's 10 games should be an indication of what has been said all along - when the defense plays well ahead of him, his game also steps up. when we allow a lane for him to see the puck, he does fine. Boston games, our defense struggled and we had a lot of turnovers in the defensive zone. Even in some of our wins, the PP gave up short-handed 1v1 chances. Maybe the only thing that I am finding an issue with is that sometimes it looks like his eyes don't follow the puck all the way, especially on some of the closer shots. Was noticing in some of the past few games that some shots between the circles were actually grazing his jersey or some part of his equipment (specifically shots around shoulder level). Maybe a little more focus on following the puck all the way through would be helpful, but it may be a situation where the shot is close enough that he just has to get set and can't get his glove or blocker in the exact spot needed.

 

[Dolemite]

I don't fully buy into much of the advanced stats; however one that I do believe in is not starting the same goalie in a back to back cross border road game.

That was indeed a head scratcher. I wouldn't have started him.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Smith has been very solid season aside from his mistake in New York. He has been decisive, has made key stops in most games.

I think Smith was outstanding in the first three games, but since shutting out the Ducks the word "solid" is probably the last one I'd use to describe him. I don't know why that is but it seemed to start when he was yanked in the Wild game - ever since he's been shaky at best.

I think Don Maloney knows he got fooled (like most of us did to varying degrees) in 2012 into thinking it was a watershed rather than an aberration.

We can blame the team, but look what they did for Dubnyk last year and for Lindback against the Sens on Saturday...