The fact that Smith got off to such an awful start has resulted in him being constantly under the microscope. Every goal he let's in is critiqued, all his bad plays are magnified, a lot of his good plays are overlooked.
He's played really well for us the last 6 starts. His game yesterday was not good but it sounds like he got injured. And then of course you see fans calling him "selfish" in the GDT for trying to play through an injury. Players play through injuries all the time in the playoffs, they dont look 100%, they dont play very well but they're commended for having grit, character, etc.. Smith tries to do it and he's selfish? What is he supposed to do? Say "you know what, I dont feel 100%, I'm out"? It's the coaches and trainers' job to make the call and I'm glad they did, but that's not on Smith.
As for moving forward, we have a good thing going with the 1a/1b. Either goalies can get hot and win games for us. This might be an unpopular opinion right now but I think if we end up winning the cup this year, Smith is the one who will help us do it. Just a feeling.
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