Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
I think the number of games Mike Smith plays also helps to ensure that Rittich keeps winning. We can't say for sure if things would be different had Rittich played 30 games up to this point, but given that the coaches seem reluctant to play him more suggests that this is certainly a factor.
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And a backup is there to do more than let the starter have a night off. He needs to perform himself too, and Smith is not.
Leaned on to be a starter? Hiller impersonation.
Leaned on as a bit of a 1b? Did ok at points, then fell flat just as everyone got their hopes up.
Leaned on to be relief to BSD? Well.... outlook not good so far.
He's started 21 games this year.
9 of them have been great games. 12 have been Hiller level.
So odds are slightly worse than a coin flip of getting a good game out of him at this point, regardless of his workload. That's really something!