Being #4 pick and leading NCAA earns you more opportunities than most, but when you’re a teenager rookie you should still be treated as someone who has to earn every game whether by improving or showing smart acumen. Showing the occasional flash of why you were drafted so high isn’t enough. This is the NHL. Everyone drafted has earned the right to have an opportunity.
GDT: Game 2: Sharks vs. Ducks 7:00pm NBCSSharks
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one2gamble
Registered User
- Dec 24, 2007
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It's been two games
If he's working on what the staff is asking and steadily improving. He's fine.
- Oct 12, 2020
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I think Smith needs couple of more games before any talks about AHL and maybe even a cup of coffee at PP1 to get a real opportunity to show his offensive abilities.
PP1 has looked good these two games, I wonder if it could help Smith a lot with some space to cook. He hasn't deserved it yet, but I wouldn't mind trying him out there for more self confidence.
Smith is learning and has a lot of pressure, so it's normal that he is not a threat yet. He will be a lot better once he gets his first point or two.
PP1 has looked good these two games, I wonder if it could help Smith a lot with some space to cook. He hasn't deserved it yet, but I wouldn't mind trying him out there for more self confidence.
Smith is learning and has a lot of pressure, so it's normal that he is not a threat yet. He will be a lot better once he gets his first point or two.
Shark Finn
∀dministrator
This team has sucked for years and now after a couple of games into a season some are in panic mode regarding the rookies. I know people are yearning for the team to compete again, but reading this crap over and over is getting rather tiresome.
OrrNumber4
Registered User
- Jul 25, 2002
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It'll be interesting to see how the coaching staff adjusts after this game. Kostin should be benched...he took an unnecessary penalty and was a net negative on the ice. But, I wonder if the coaches actually like his punch on Vatrano and keep him in...
I’m not saying do anything now. Let him work out his kinks but if he’s still having his struggles by thanksgiving then it wouldn’t be the end of the world to give him some time in the AHL knowing what he needs to focus on.
I’m sure smith will be ok. He will get some points if he’s given top 6 linemates and ice time.
The debate here is just whether the AHL or NHL is the best place for him to develop. No one is panicking.
I would be thrilled watch smith take off shortly and to be proven dead wrong. I just think gushkin and Cardwell are more nhl ready, especially gush. So I want to see the 21/22 year old guys with a year of pro experience under their belts get the nhl look. Smith will surely be an nhl regular in time but I think those mins would be better spent on the guys more nhl ready now and guys who are more up in the air.
The debate here is just whether the AHL or NHL is the best place for him to develop. No one is panicking.
I would be thrilled watch smith take off shortly and to be proven dead wrong. I just think gushkin and Cardwell are more nhl ready, especially gush. So I want to see the 21/22 year old guys with a year of pro experience under their belts get the nhl look. Smith will surely be an nhl regular in time but I think those mins would be better spent on the guys more nhl ready now and guys who are more up in the air.
Oh yes those extra 5 games makes such a huge difference in experience. I like gushchin on the team but other then that one game in preseason game he has not been better then smith at the nhl level.
Goose was solid in his limited games last year. I don't see this need to undercut what he did last year with a couple games.
And so has smith through 2 games. This entire conversation is mental, as this team doesn't get better or worse if you remove smith and keep gushchin in the lineup. But it does get worse by taking smith out of the lineup and replacing him full time with the other choices outside of gushchin (which is the actual ones replacing smith).
one2gamble
Registered User
- Dec 24, 2007
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weastern bias
worst team in the league
If anything I think the mistake the team is making with Smith is not giving him PP1 time, he needs those reps and that is where he is most likely to find his groove early on, it is hard to justify playing him there over any one of Toffoli, Granlund, Zetterlund or Eklund but I have maintained that his development is far more important than wins this season so they should definitely have him up there
I did manage to catch most of the 2nd half of the game and Smith just gets incrementally better every game, he's coming along, it's just going to take time some fans aren't willing to wait for because we wasted 3 years postponing the rebuild so we're all tired of losing but this is for the best
If there is any one thing to single out about him as a glaring negative it is that he isn't just easily muscled off the puck, he loses possession and gets stripped and falls over at the slightest hint of contact, and that just won't fly in this league, but that's one of his hard-learned lessons this year and over next offseason he'll have to commit to his physical conditioning, he's already way bigger this year than he was last year so I believe he can do it
I did manage to catch most of the 2nd half of the game and Smith just gets incrementally better every game, he's coming along, it's just going to take time some fans aren't willing to wait for because we wasted 3 years postponing the rebuild so we're all tired of losing but this is for the best
If there is any one thing to single out about him as a glaring negative it is that he isn't just easily muscled off the puck, he loses possession and gets stripped and falls over at the slightest hint of contact, and that just won't fly in this league, but that's one of his hard-learned lessons this year and over next offseason he'll have to commit to his physical conditioning, he's already way bigger this year than he was last year so I believe he can do it
It's a 3 on 3 but Smith's responsibility is to attack the puck carrier because Thrun isn't on the puck carrier. He's playing a 2-on-1 but he overcommits to the puck carrier instead of shading back to the middle. If they're to play it any other way, it's on the defensemen to communicate that to Smith as a rookie.You should. Check out the goal simulation, these are super cool. It's a 3 on 3 and Smith locks onto the puck carrier from way across the ice. Since that happens Benning could have shaded right to keep the trailer in front of him but it risks giving up a 2 on 1 with a good pass. Because Smith didn't pick up the trailer and Benning stayed man to man on the second forward, it became a clean partial break.
Smith and Benning combined for the wrong play, but it's mostly Smith's fault because it was clearly his responsibility to take the trailer in a 3 on 3 situation.
I kind of like them
One, Thrun wasn't already covering him. He was playing off because he's reading two-on-one at the blue line. Two, the typical ask of a backchecking forward is to attack the puck carrier and have the defensemen rotate. Thrun didn't play the middle enough in that situation and Benning didn't either. The other thing is that if they're going to play that any differently, it's up to the defensemen to communicate that to Smith as a rookie in his second game. That sort of backchecking to attack the puck carrier on a 3 on 3 is very normal.
hohosaregood
Banned
- Sep 1, 2011
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I'd say like 3 people played that wrong in the end by not sorting/adapting coverage. Like Smith could've taken any of the 3 forwards on that rush and it would've made sense depending on execution. The smart move would've been to cover the trailer, the reasonable but not that helpful one probably would've been to stay on top of the guy he was tracking back with, and I bet taking the puck carrier on the back check is something the coaches have been wanting but Smith needs to get on him quicker.You should. Check out the goal simulation, these are super cool. It's a 3 on 3 and Smith locks onto the puck carrier from way across the ice. Since that happens Benning could have shaded right to keep the trailer in front of him but it risks giving up a 2 on 1 with a good pass. Because Smith didn't pick up the trailer and Benning stayed man to man on the second forward, it became a clean partial break.
Smith and Benning combined for the wrong play, but it's mostly Smith's fault because it was clearly his responsibility to take the trailer in a 3 on 3 situation.
I kind of like them
