Smith will work to prevent another rocky start
The emergence of the backup goalie during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is a cautionary tale for the 14 NHL starters — including the Coyotes’ Mike Smith — who weren’t invited to participate.
Five understudies have merited starts so far and only one was because the starter (illness) was unavailable. Another two netminders, the Wild’s Devan Dubnyk and the Senators’ Andrew Hammond, have played as starters despite not even being in the running for the role in the fall.
If given an opportunity to matter, many will capitalize.
And while Smith’s rank as the Coyotes’ No. 1 option isn’t in jeopardy, this lesson proves the scale among NHL goaltenders is always sliding toward a results-first mentality. Fortunately for the Coyotes, Smith didn’t need to watch the playoffs to learn that.
He already had decided to invest in a new offseason regimen to ward off the poor starts that have plagued him during most of his tenure in Arizona.
“In the past, it’s been coming into camp and working myself into game form whereas this year I’ll be coming into camp on all cylinders,” Smith said.
The Coyotes have made it clear they aren’t stripping Smith of his status. They had the opportunity to do so during the season when Dubnyk’s play made the case for more playing time, but management squashed any potential goalie controversy by trading Dubnyk to Minnesota.
See COYOTES, Page 3C