Okay this has gone long enough.
Somebody explain the play to me. I don't remember much of what happened especially before the penalty itself.
I remember a breakaway alone on the goalie with seconds left on the clock and Smith out of desperation committed a penalty to stop the scoring chance, much like I would expect most defensemen to do in the same situation. Was it the greatest play ever? No. Lidstrom probably would have stole the puck cleanly and scored somehow. But with seconds left I'm just glad he prevented a goal one way or another.
Or is all the talk actually about whatever led to the scoring chance in the first place? I don't remember exactly what it was, but if Smith actually did something stupid that directly led to the chance, then I understand all the *****ing.
Remind me please, someone?
He held the puck too long and attempted a pass as the last man back with seconds remaining.
One would point out in a game like that it actually takes two D-man to make it so we are coming out of the zone like that with seconds remaining. But Smith still cannot get that close to the other player and try the elevator pass over him. It was incredibly stupid. Press box material just for attempting it stuff.
Giving the penalty at that point was a necessity and he deserves no credit for it. Really it should have been a Penalty Shot, but they didn't call the one on Zetterberg early so they swallowed the whistle there.
It was a play he cannot make.
With that said and it was a play I would never like to see a NHL player make. At times the talk on Smith is he doesn't even belong in the league. It isn't like Kindl where he is washing out totally. That is kind of what the numbers crowd points to and the idea I doubt very much nobody has interest around the league. It isn't what we hoped but he isn't the pariah he is often made out to be. It is just his mistakes are magnified an awful lot around here and his solid plays not so much.
Last games was particularly bad though, there is no covering for that. I don't know what he is thinking there, it is a play you cannot make. Honestly probably the biggest bonehead thing he has done all season. I would have punished him for it if I was Blashill and Kronwall not gone down with sitting him for a game and I really do think he has played a lot better for a while now, but just totally unacceptable.