This Mike Smith stat will only make Avalanche fans feel worse about Game 1 loss

BarDown Staff

Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Mike Smith's regular season had more downs than ups, but the playoffs are a new chapter to the season and he had a chance to rewrite the narrative Thursday night after getting the call for Game 1 against the Avalanche at home.

Colorado has some serious firepower up front, but Smith was equal to the task making 26 saves for the shutout and even assisting on Calgary's empty net goal to put the game even farther out of reach.

26-save shutout and an assist earns some big hugs for Mike Smith. pic.twitter.com/KynzJ1QUQq
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) April 12, 2019

Giordano on Smith's game. "He made a couple big ones… Handling the puck, again, people don’t realize how much that helps our team. It takes away some of their forechecks and it’s huge for us." Smith made 26 saves for the shutout... and added an assist on Tkachuk's empty netter.
— Jermain Franklin (@TSNJFranklin) April 12, 2019

Oh my goodness. A Mike Smith assist. This night can’t get any better!
— z - YEET🤠 (@FolksyForester) April 12, 2019

In case it's not obvious, Smith recorded more points that the entire Avalanche roster combined and who in the world can say they saw that coming at any point in this series, let alone Game 1?

mike smith now has more points in this year’s playoffs than the entire Colorado Avalanche roster.
— Sarah 👈🏻💀👈🏻 (@StrangerSarah) April 12, 2019

It's one of those add insult to defeat stats if you're the Avalanche, especially considering they got a big boost up front with Mikko Rantanen making his return to the lineup.

The 4-0 final wasn't quite indicative of how close Game 1 was and if it wasn't for some brilliant saves from Smith at key moments, it could have been very different.

Smith moved by the "Smitty" chants. "Honestly… I haven’t heard, quite, anything like that in my career and it kind of gives you... some confidence, obviously when you hear your name getting chanted… I hadn’t experienced what I experienced tonight throughout my 13 year career."
— Jermain Franklin (@TSNJFranklin) April 12, 2019

(H/T: /r/hockey)