GDT: Game 2: Sharks vs. Ducks 7:00pm NBCSSharks

[Zarzh]

Kostin-Smith-Zetts

There's both too few and too many options but that one was a bad idea, Gush-Smith-Zetterlund or Goodrow-Smith-Toffoli are the only viable options depending on how you want to deploy them.

 

[YUPPY 2 7 10 11]

There are really probably only 1-2 people seriously expecting much more from Smith. I'm personally calling out his weaknesses but with a very clear understanding that this is all expected. Many expected a hard landing, he's had a hard first few games but he's a high IQ player and he just needs reps in the NHL. honestly he could have 25 points this year and I wouldn't be concerned yet. Like I said in an earlier post - Zegras was arguably more invisible today. Completely agree we shouldn't overreact, but it's also silly not to be able to point out where he's struggling and where he's doing decently. Most of his struggles are being just a step behind the pace off puck, and getting out-muscled or closed down with puck. Hell figure it out, but it might take a season or two.

Remember how Eklund was when he has his 1st few NHL games? Absolutely, it's crucial to give young players like Will Smith enough time to adapt to the NHL. Ten games is often too short to really gauge a player’s potential or development. Players like Smith need time to find their rhythm and grow into their roles. Rushing him back to the AHL could definitely harm his confidence. Thirty games would provide a better opportunity for him to learn and adjust to the pace and style of the NHL. It’s all about balancing development and confidence building!

 

[timorous me]

Well said but is anyone paying attention?

When my voice isn't so froggy I'll make sure to say it much louder next time!

There are really probably only 1-2 people seriously expecting much more from Smith. I'm personally calling out his weaknesses but with a very clear understanding that this is all expected. Many expected a hard landing, he's had a hard first few games but he's a high IQ player and he just needs reps in the NHL. honestly he could have 25 points this year and I wouldn't be concerned yet. Like I said in an earlier post - Zegras was arguably more invisible today. Completely agree we shouldn't overreact, but it's also silly not to be able to point out where he's struggling and where he's doing decently. Most of his struggles are being just a step behind the pace off puck, and getting out-muscled or closed down with puck. Hell figure it out, but it might take a season or two.

Yeah, like I said, he had his mistakes--expecting anything less is the only problem here, but I think it's been well-established by this point that some of the people with that attitude have broader issues in processing reality, so we probably shouldn't let it affect us. But it is damn irritating to see.

Honestly, I did have some worries that what we'd see from Smith would be markedly worse; there was some reason to believe his style of play would translate quite poorly as a 19-year-old in the NHL in this situation. So maybe that's part of my perspective here, but I see him doing everything we could've asked for, even if it's far from perfection and the defensive miscues are going to keep coming, and that's why my initial impression after two games and zero points and a negative whatever +/- is still positive.

 

[OrrNumber4]

To split the difference with Smith, he should be in the NHL, but maybe being the #2 center is a little too overwhelming. He needs to be sheltered.

I will also point out that Vanecek had a good night statistically, but many of those chances were of the ho-hum type. The one grade-A chance Anaheim had, he came up short. Blackwood let in some low-level chances in the opener, but he also had a few big-time stops.

The Sharks need a bit more offensive pop in the lineup. Right now, the best way to do that is to play around with the forward lines. Keep two of Goodrow/Kunin/Sturm/Grundstrom/Dellandrea...

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

I'm like so close to snapping and losing my mind dudes. I wanna drive through a brick wall. I don't have everclear so I have to compensate. With a porter. Bottoms up duders because I'm gonna go cry now.

Barracuda won 5-0.
Askarov shutout
Bystedt looks great
Haltunen two goals
Cagnoni wow
Graf goal

 

[coooldude]

MOAR GASOLINE ON THE FIRE!

but seriously, dubious charts confirm one very positive thing: our D corps played much better tonight. Yeah, fine, ducks are bad, but it was a hard fought game. Good to see names like Rutta, Ceci, Walman come up positive. And for my money, both Kunin and Goodrow look like solid 3rd liners in two games so far, so that's a nice surprise.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I don't blame Smith for the goal but his spot in the lineup shouldn't be a certainty at this stage. I don't think he's earned that. The minors should be an option worth discussing if he continues to play at this level. They can afford to keep him in the NHL to continue to experience the play level and let him work through it but they don't have to.

 

[DG93]

I seriously don't understand what people realistically expect from him this year. There are so many rookies out there--who go on to become very good players!--who have experiences just like what we're seeing from him.

I kept a close eye on Smith tonight because why not, and while of course there's a major learning curve, you can definitely see these glimmers of potential brilliance, just without the space he expected or without teammates to do ANYTHING to help him out.

And without the puck, those gears are turning in his mind. It's his second professional game! Every 19-year-old learning to play center is going to have the kinds of boners he's had so far; it's just easier to get away with them when you don't have Kostin and Benning on the ice with you when they happen.

So seriously, FFS, a little patience would go A LONG way here. And some perspective!

This is a family site! Jk, very much agree with everything you wrote

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1845340471520002322

 

[karltonian]

I wholeheartedly disagree. Gush is better. Hell, even cardwell could be argued to be better right now.

He absolutely needs a chance to figure it out, in the place where 19 years "figure it out" called the AHL.

If you look at the game winner, you can see smith was the guy most responsible without question. Its 3 on 3 coming back. Thrun has puck carrier. Benning as second guy. Smith should have the eventual goal scorer, but instead chooses to play mite hockey and chance the puck carrier. This creates two guys on puck carrier and third guy WIDE open.

Much like his penalty, these are the details in the game that you learn in the A.

At the end of the day, while no one scored, Smith was squarely responsible for the L. He just isnt ready yet at 19.

Neither of those guys plays 2nd line center. Which we should remember is what Smith is playing, not a small ask for a complete rook. He hasn't been getting ripped to shreds or anything so IMO there's no rush to send him down vs tinkering and letting him get reps.

BTW regarding eklund, I noticed he is playing on the PK this year which is great, and he looks pretty good doing it too.

 

[timorous me]

This is a family site! Jk, very much agree with everything you wrote

One of the great (horrible) moments in Giants history, and always an inspiration for me to say something that's innocently inappropriate.

Rookies doing rookie things, even 116 years ago.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

One of the great (horrible) moments in Giants history, and always an inspiration for me to say something that's innocently inappropriate.

Rookies doing rookie things, even 116 years ago.

I thought about KHL Supastar Ryan Merkley for a second there.

 

[Star Platinum]

I'm on board with this. We need to give him 15, 20 games before we even think about sending him down. He needs reps.

That said, the goal was in no small part his problem. We had numbers, and he AND Benning got sucked over to the puck. Arguably the trailing F needs to see we have numbers there and pivot to look for the trailer. Because Smith committed to puck and Benning drifted a bit, it was up to Zetterlund to catch the trailer, no fair to him.

In encouraging news, Cutter had no goals and Zegras was practically invisible except for his EN.

I actually don't buy that it was Benning's fault at all. I think Will Smith 100% chased the puck when it was his responsibility to stay with the forward. I was hoping Drew would call it out on the replay, but he was wishy washy about whose error it was.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Neither of those guys plays 2nd line center. Which we should remember is what Smith is playing, not a small ask for a complete rook. He hasn't been getting ripped to shreds or anything so IMO there's no rush to send him down vs tinkering and letting him get reps.

BTW regarding eklund, I noticed he is playing on the PK this year which is great, and he looks pretty good doing it too.

Imo, Smith got ripped to shreds tonight. His line was bad. I don't necessarily think the solution is sending him down but there's a real conversation to be had if by game nine he still looks like this. He's not making anywhere near enough plays to justify his spot in the lineup.

 

[Star Platinum]

This place is going to be more unbearable during Smith's growing pains than it was at any point in the last fifteen years.

Actually what I find most unbearable at the moment is you lecturing the forum from your soapbox on high.

 

[dmcccdmn]

Need more close, competitive games like this that ended up with zero point in the standing. It's part of growth for our youngsters.

 

[hohosaregood]

i think as long as Smith shows improvement on and off the ice without letting the lows set him back, he should stay.

 

[Star Platinum]

I seriously don't understand what people realistically expect from him this year. There are so many rookies out there--who go on to become very good players!--who have experiences just like what we're seeing from him.

I kept a close eye on Smith tonight because why not, and while of course there's a major learning curve, you can definitely see these glimmers of potential brilliance, just without the space he expected or without teammates to do ANYTHING to help him out.

And without the puck, those gears are turning in his mind. It's his second professional game! Every 19-year-old learning to play center is going to have the kinds of boners he's had so far; it's just easier to get away with them when you don't have Kostin and Benning on the ice with you when they happen.

So seriously, FFS, a little patience would go A LONG way here. And some perspective!

I didn't know what to expect before getting to see both guys in the preseason. What I gleaned early on is that Celebrini was a noticeably better player than Smith at this juncture (and probably always will be) and so far that has borne itself out and so people are always going to be comparing him to Celebrini and wondering why he's not producing at the same level.

My thoughts on Smith are as follows:

1. His kind of game is the worst kind of game to pair with a team that is SORELY lacking in offensive skill level. Any young kid whose best trait is surveying the ice, and finding the right guy to pass it to while not really being an impact scorer or defender and not being physically dominant is going to struggle. Hockey is an unkind sport to most very young players and he's going through that struggle right now. Fortunately, he's living with a guy who very much lived that struggle as a young player himself for multiple seasons who will be a good sounding board for these tough times.

2. For whatever reason on this forum, the more experienced forwards in the top six never seem to get the same microscope that Smith does. Other than the pass and shot on the offsides goal that didn't count, what did Granlund or Zetterlund do in this game offensively to create chances? Toffoli doesn't really ever do anything unless someone else sets him up for a shot. Ecklund was the only guy that really stood out a little and even in his case, he wasn't really creating much in the way of genuine chances. These guys are supposed to be helping the rookies look better, not the other way around. Instead it was Celebrini making those guys look better in Game 1 and the only other time the other top six forwards have done anything that didn't involve Celebrini was the power play goal in Game 1 where Granlund made the sweet feed to Zetterlund.

Will Smith is playing the most demanding forward position with zero pro experience at age 19. It's going to be a tough adjustment and there will be a lot of bumps in the road.

 

[Patty Ice]

I think, for now, Smith would be better served playing on the 3rd line with Goodrow and Kunin. Some vet presence with ultimate hustle will do him good.

 

[Jargon]

Remember how Eklund was when he has his 1st few NHL games? Absolutely, it's crucial to give young players like Will Smith enough time to adapt to the NHL. Ten games is often too short to really gauge a player’s potential or development. Players like Smith need time to find their rhythm and grow into their roles. Rushing him back to the AHL could definitely harm his confidence. Thirty games would provide a better opportunity for him to learn and adjust to the pace and style of the NHL. It’s all about balancing development and confidence building!

I think Smith should work out the kinks in the NHL but baby Eklund looked a fair amount better in his first 9 than Smith has so far.