Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
The team also talks about hits per game. Do the defensemen take less hits with Smith in net? Let's assume they do.
However, if he loses one game because of play like last night, and a playoff series goes an extra game longer than it should have, that would result in substantially more wear to the defense (and whole team) than anything his puckhandling might be saving.
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I think Smith likely plays the puck more frequently in games in which he faces fewer shots. I think it was Hrudy who has mentioned this once or twice, and talked about how important it can be in a game like last night v. Minnesota or last week at home v. NYI for Smith to get lots of touches, and help keep him focused while having to go through very long spells of time without facing a shot.