Quote:
Originally Posted by Split98
Yeah, I can't help but look at that LA game as a better venue for him to work things out. He put up a .727 to end the season last year against Anaheim too, so he's 50/50 on what he can bring against that team.
I worry too that having a great duo is going to be harder to nurture if you let Smith get lit up again. I think what we saw against Colorado and Pittsburgh was enough embarrassment to start giving him the easier games right now...
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The present situation is not that simple to assess. What is missing from your rather inflexible evaluation is the crucial splits that Smith has between games on the road and at the Saddledome, where he has been bad since the start of last season. In so doing, you have failed to accurately show the whole record of Smith's performance against Anaheim in his time with the Flames, which includes FOUR games, NOT two.
At the Saddledoeme he was unsurprisingly below average, posting a 0.875 SP, a win, and a big loss. But in Smith's games in Anaheim he allowed two goals on 84 shots, recorded a shutout win and a one-goal loss on the strength of a 0.976 SP. Mike Smith's numbers this year very much like last season are considerably better on the road than at home, and this includes his near-shutout of the Toronto Maple Leafs in his last game. His road SP thus far is a respectable 0.912.
I have been saying for a long time that the biggest problem with Mike Smith's game is what happens at the Saddledome. But he has always been and continues to be a very good goalie in road games, and is a big reason why the Flames have had a great road record the past two seasons. He won arguably the most important game of the season last year in Anaheim. Smith deserves the start tonight.