In case there was still any debate as to who the Calgary Flames’ Most Valuable Player is this season, goaltender Mike Smith’s absence and the team’s performances over that span say it all.
And Smith’s surprise appearance at practice on Tuesday ahead of the second of three games on the Flames’ critical late-season road trip tells you a lot about how desperate the Flames are for something positive.
Just days earlier, his coach had said Smith would be staying behind in Calgary to continue rehabbing with no firm timeline for a return to the blue paint. Then Smith flew to Buffalo to take part in Tuesday’s practice session with his teammates and plant the seeds of his comeback.