Silver Nuggets: Is anything wrong with Zack Smith?

by Adnan on Jan 25, 2012 1:03 PM EST in Silver Nuggets

On 6 January, we gave out the mid-term report card and Zack Smith was given an A for having 12 goals in 41 games, which is a 24 goal pace. Since then, Zack Smith has 0 goals in the following 11 games and his assist last night was his first point in that span. He's still on pace for 19 goals and 35 points, which is a good return from a third-line centre.

Ignoring things like "grit" or "heart", is there a reason to be worried? Smith has 16 shots in the last 11 games or 1.45 per game. In the first 41 games, he had 76 shots for 1.85 a game. The fact that he scored on 12 of those 76 shots should have been a sign as that was a 15.8% shooting rate. Among regular forwards on the team, only Zenon Konopka and Kaspars Daugavins have a lower relative corsi than Smith. On the other hand, only Daugavins starts in the defensive zone more than Smith.

Of course not everyone likes to look at the numbers, but Zack Smith was overachieving greatly earlier in the season and he is now starting to come down a little bit. Having said that, he plays 2:50 a night on the penalty kill, which is second only to Erik Condra among forwards. Offensively, even if he ends up with 16 or 17 goals, that's not a bad season at all from a 2nd-year third line centre.

Here are today's links:

Recap from last night. (Silver Seven, Ottawa Sun, Senators Extra)
Scoring chances from last night, we out-chanced them! (The 6th Sens)
Jared Cowen is heading home to Saskatchewan while Matt Carkner is going to err...Oklahoma City, which apparently has a large livestock market. Well then. Zack Smith is going to Cancun, by the way. (Ottawa Sun)
The Senators have a lot of offensive prospects coming up in Mika Zibanejad, Jakob Silfverberg, Mark Stone, Andre Petersson, Matt Puempel, Stefan Noesen, Shane Prince and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. If two or three can work out, Ottawa will have a great top six. (Senators Extra)
The latest of the digital faceoff where we find out that the Senators have...wait for it, wait for it..."pretty attendants". (Ottawa Sun)
Eugene Melnyk speaks again and he was shocked to find out that the world has at least 150 countries. He is also worried about getting shot on the Rideau Canal because he wants the Leafs to have a strong team. (The 6th Sens)

Poll

Are you worried about Zack Smith?

Yes, he needs to give a crap about scoring

43 votes

No, he's still great for a third line centre

141 votes

Peter made him get a big head

36 votes

220 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Borowiecki and Petersson sent back down

Borowiecki named to AHL All-Star team.

by B_T on Jan 25, 2012 1:12 PM EST reply actions

That Digital Faceoff is crap.

Brennan would rather have the weekend off? Feh.

A Goal Horn Haiku

Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto

by Nightbreak on Jan 25, 2012 1:33 PM EST reply actions

MSM in general is crap.

I pick up the Globe, Citizen, La Presse and so on.
Ottawa Sun in general is bung, and its only claim to fame is that they can access the players.
There really isn’t any great analysis there. They don’t use FENWICK, CORSI or any other advanced stats and are generally no better than a mouthpiece for the team.

Thank goodness for most Sens blogs, that’s all I’m saying. Present company included.

by Quizzical Quorum on Jan 25, 2012 6:42 PM EST up reply actions

Nittymaki on WAIVERS!!!!

Nittymaki on Waivers.
Nittymaki on Waivers.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=386047

Tell your friends.
A free, cheap, proven backup so Anderson won’t have to play 14 of 15 games here on out.

"If you aren't diving, you aren't trying"-Jordin Tootoo
PekKarlsson: The genetic mutant solution to all of Nashville and Ottawa's problems. Shea and Alfie approve.

by PekKarlsson on Jan 25, 2012 1:33 PM EST reply actions

Uh-huh. Where are we in the order of waiver claims?

A Goal Horn Haiku

Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto

by Nightbreak on Jan 25, 2012 1:34 PM EST up reply actions

someone will scoop him up...

ALFIE! ALFIE! ALFIE!

by BigSlice on Jan 25, 2012 1:35 PM EST up reply actions

yeah, but there's an order you go in, right?

Such and so a team gets first crack, then another …

A Goal Horn Haiku

Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto

by Nightbreak on Jan 25, 2012 1:36 PM EST up reply actions

Lowest team gets priority IIRC.

Hence why the NYI can claim ALL THE GOALIES.

by The Tif on Jan 25, 2012 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

middle of the pack

but of the teams ahead of us, only Tampa may make a play….only if they think they are still in it, which is debatable.

"If you aren't diving, you aren't trying"-Jordin Tootoo
PekKarlsson: The genetic mutant solution to all of Nashville and Ottawa's problems. Shea and Alfie approve.

by PekKarlsson on Jan 25, 2012 1:37 PM EST up reply actions

I support this

Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs

by Mark Parisi on Jan 25, 2012 1:55 PM EST up reply actions

He hasn’t played this year since hip surgery in September. Is he really viable?

by Be_rad on Jan 26, 2012 10:32 AM EST up reply actions

*hasn’t played in NHL, not sure about elsewhere

by Be_rad on Jan 26, 2012 10:54 AM EST up reply actions

Can he be worse than Auld?

I’d rather have him and not have to use him than resort to Auld and then not have any alternatives. Although I guess we could call up Lehner if we had to?

by The Tif on Jan 26, 2012 11:09 AM EST up reply actions

Personally, I thought the suggestion some one else made earlier that Auld be back up but Lehner be a call up to start actual games to give Anderson rest was not bad. But I’m not so sure Lehner has been stellar in Bingo.

As for being worse than Auld, unless we know he is physically sound and ready to play, then t would be like signing Leclaire to be back up. Others have opined here that Auld could just as easily revert to his previous performance levels as Anderson did in the last few weeks. We won’t know until we lean on him. Maybe he and Lehenr could exchange spots for a while to get him some live fire.

by Be_rad on Jan 26, 2012 4:54 PM EST up reply actions

For an awful minute there...

I thought you were suggesting we sign Leclaire as our backup.

Shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.

by RogerTheShrubber on Jan 27, 2012 4:14 PM EST up reply actions

I would be okay with that.

He does have one more year left at $2 mill, but if we do make the playoffs, it’s good to have a seasoned backup to help Andy out since Auld seems to be out of sorts this year. And then Nittymaki becomes the back up next year for a reasonable sum.

by The Tif on Jan 25, 2012 3:12 PM EST up reply actions

According to capgeek

he’s done at the end of the year. Strictly a rental.

http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=764

"If you aren't diving, you aren't trying"-Jordin Tootoo
PekKarlsson: The genetic mutant solution to all of Nashville and Ottawa's problems. Shea and Alfie approve.

by PekKarlsson on Jan 25, 2012 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

Well then.

Mr Murray, you have a call to make!

by The Tif on Jan 25, 2012 3:32 PM EST up reply actions

I thought of something.

It’s typical in the lead-up to the ASG that the players selected just bomb. I remember the Sens lighting up the starting Goalie for the East every year before the ASG and just wrecking him. Guess it’s our turn now.

A Goal Horn Haiku

Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto

by Nightbreak on Jan 25, 2012 1:35 PM EST reply actions

Melnyk doesn't need to worry about getting shot on the canal

It’d be a frozen beavertail to the back of the head.

by B_T on Jan 25, 2012 1:42 PM EST reply actions

As for the question these nuggets pose...

I think the answer is that what’s wrong with Z. Smith is our expectations. His scoring pace was always unrealistic for a third liner.

Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs

by Mark Parisi on Jan 25, 2012 1:58 PM EST reply actions

This is how I voted

I love soft players (especially Europeans) that play on the perimeter. Enigmas are awesome. Grit and heart-and-soul are red flags.

Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan

by Adnan on Jan 25, 2012 2:07 PM EST up reply actions

On the bright side of things

I was awfully disappointed last night to see the boys go into the break after three losses, but maybe it will be valuable in the end.

I think the fans and the media will have to take a breath and temper their expectations. The players will have to refocus and remember the things they were doing to win 3 weeks ago that may have disappeared now. They’ve also had a long roadtrip and some BS reffing to deal with, and shared hardship can be good for a team.

I also think that it’s a good time to face some adversity. They weren’t going to stay red hot for the next 30 games, so better to have a slide now and time to fix the deficiencies.

Hopefully over the break they rest up, right the ship a bit, and come back ready to skate like they were earlier in the year.

Shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.

by RogerTheShrubber on Jan 25, 2012 2:49 PM EST reply actions

Interesting view on realignment rejection by anonymous NHL player

Link

I love soft players (especially Europeans) that play on the perimeter. Enigmas are awesome. Grit and heart-and-soul are red flags.

Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan

by Adnan on Jan 25, 2012 3:00 PM EST reply actions

Makes sense

I agree with the NHLPA if in fact that’s what happened. If you say that an option is better, give them the facts so they can make an informed decision. This take or leave it attitude doesn’t help anyone. Just ask the NBA, or the NHL in 2004

by I Still Miss Hossa!!! on Jan 25, 2012 6:16 PM EST up reply actions

It's in line with what the NHLPA was saying right after - to little information to vote yes

by B_T on Jan 26, 2012 10:29 AM EST up reply actions

Regardless of right or wrong...

It’s ominous shit.

Shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.

by RogerTheShrubber on Jan 26, 2012 10:56 AM EST up reply actions

Where is the "How DARE you, sir?!" option on the poll?

Shawn McEachern: The best Senator to ever wear 15.
Zack Smith: The future best Senator to ever wear 15.

by Speedy_McEachern on Jan 25, 2012 6:08 PM EST reply actions

I think the only thing wrong with ZSmith is...

that he is quite possibly playing through a concussion. I mean, that doesn’t explain the slump leading up to the hit, but still…

Similar to EK65… he may have been injured by that Kane hit.

Who knows… just fix it.

ALFIE! ALFIE! ALFIE!

by BigSlice on Jan 25, 2012 7:33 PM EST reply actions

I think...

Mssr. Smith is suffering the same crisis in confidence and character as Mssr. Foligno.

Both can play two roles – two different games – and if this is happening at the same time, then we are not getting their full attention in either game – in either role. I think if they both focused on putting the puck in the net, they would be ahead, and the Sens would be more dominant as a team.

Leave the rough stuff up to Neil, Carkner and Konopka. If Smith and Foligno focused on the the net, the team would be better off.

At least..I think.

by Aenesidemus on Jan 25, 2012 7:35 PM EST reply actions