With 12 goals already in the bank, Smith has found the mark with more regularity than any other season through 28 games.
Maybe more impactful than the total, however, is the significance of Smith's goals this campaign. Already this season, the Toronto native has scored three game winners as well as a pair which tied the score in games the VGK eventually won. Nine of his goals have come on the road, seven have been scored on special teams including three shorthanded markers. Excluded from his total is his shootout winner in Boston.
"Some moments are bigger and some games are tighter. I've always liked playing in bigger moments. Playoff hockey is when I'm at my best. When games get tight like that, I play with really good players and they find me open a lot. It's probably a small sample size but hopefully it can continue all season," says Smith. "A lot of it comes down to experience. I've been in the NHL a long time and you really cherish those moments when games are tight. Those are the most fun times to score and help your team win games."
Vegas traded for Smith as part of the expansion process and he's been a large piece of the organization and the community since his arrival. In 349 VGK games, Smith has totaled 110 goals and 138 assists for 248 points. Off the ice, his Battle For Vegas foundation has raised over $400,000 for local charities.
Recently, Smith and his wife Melissa added a little girl to the family welcoming baby Isla into the house.
"It puts everything into perspective. Hockey has always been the No. 1 thing in my life and it's crazy how fast that takes a backseat once you have a kid," said Smith. "After games has always been a tough part on myself and all professional athletes. You come home and you have a kid and it puts hockey in the rearview mirror a lot easier. There have been a lot of sleepless nights in my career and now I'm having sleepless nights for a different reason and I'm completely fine with that. It's nice to be able to turn the page on losses and bad games quicker than I used to be able to."
Over last off-season, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon announced the team had signed Smith to a three-year extension.
"It's nice to be able to not worry about moving with a young baby in our house," said Smith. "It's nice to have an extension here and I can see myself playing the rest of my career here. It's nice when management aligns with that plan."
It's difficult to talk about one of the Misfit Line without mentioning the other. Smith says it's the fit of a career.
"We work for each other. We've played together long enough that we know what to expect from one another. When one of us isn't playing well, we're the first ones to keep each other accountable. Every few games you'll hear one of us say, 'I have to be better for you guys.' We have that mentality where if you're not pulling your weight, it's on you because you're holding the other two guys' back," he said, adding the three families have vacationed together and consider one another best friends. "I know where they are without having to lift my head. We support each other in puck battles and in the D zone and it allows us to turn to offense quickly."
