Reilly Smith playing like a Conn Smythe contender for the Vegas Golden Knights
Reilly Smith has been outstanding in the postseason for the Vegas Golden Knights.
You need your big-time players to step it up a level or two in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Smith is certainly doing that for the Vegas Golden Knights.
After setting a new career-high in goals with 27 during the regular-season, Smith hasn’t missed a beat after the restart.
He was lights out during the round-robin games and he’s been an offensive juggernaut so far in Round 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks when it really matters.
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That was never more evident than in Game 2 when Smith scored the Overtime winner to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 series lead.
He also had a secondary helper on Paul Stastny‘s first period goal, taking him to seven points (3 G, 4 A) in five postseason games.
Smith leads the Golden Knights in points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and he’s playing at an MVP level right now.
Hell, he’s playing like a Conn Smythe contender at the moment.
The right winger has possessed the golden touch in front of net all season-long, and he seems to have ice in his veins at the crucial moments.
It has got to the point that when Smith has the puck on his stick you know something great is about to happen, and he just provides a real offensive spark for his team.
He drives play, he battles hard, he goes to the dirty areas and he’s the heart and soul of this Golden Knights team.
Just study Game 2 when Smith battled behind the net to keep the puck alive, allowing Jonathan Marchessault to pick out Paul Stastny in the low slot who beat Corey Crawford with a one-timer.
Then, in OT with the pressure on and a 2-0 series lead on the line, Smith had the awareness to get to the front of the net and he was rewarded after putting home Stastny’s centering pass for the game-winner.
That dynamic second-line has been so good throughout the postseason too, with Smith, Stastny and Marchessault combining for 15 points.
Smith and Marchessault have almost a telepathic understanding on the ice together and they are really driving play for the Golden Knights, while they have been sharp in their own zone too.
But Smith, who has 48 points (17 G, 31 A) in 50 career postseason games, has been the X-Factor for the Golden Knights so far and he’s coming up clutch when it matters most.
If Reilly Smith can continue to come up with big goals and big plays to help get the Vegas Golden Knights to where they want to be, then don’t be surprised to see the forward come up in Conn Smythe conversations.
He’s certainly playing like an MVP right now.