I agree with those saying they thought he looked hurt from the first save. Having said that, he seems to me to have been grimacing and recovering slowly on multiple occasions all year - I have felt he has been fighting something for some time.
With respect to his play, I think there are two issues: one is the ongoing issue that he is very reactive, as opposed to keeping it simple and compact and staying square to the shooter. Reactive, floppy goalies can make 5 alarm saves, but they also get caught out of position too much. IMO, this style is catching up to him as he ages, because he simply isn't as quick and athletic as he once was.
The other issue is that he seems unable to slide cross-crease. For a while, I was wondering if there was a flaw in his style, but now I think there might be a minor injury there that is restricting his movement. But IMO, it is very clear that he is restricted when trying to slide cross-crease. And it is significantly limiting his ability to make saves in those situations.
I love Smith's attitude and his competitiveness. I also love his puck handling abilities, which I think most fans don't appreciate the value of enough - it is really beneficial to the defensemen and it limits the other team's forecheck.
But the above two issues have me increasingly concerned, with each game.
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