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Bolts' Smith Is Running Out Of Time

By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 23, 2009

TAMPA - The Lightning still don't plan to shut down Mike Smith, but Coach Rick Tocchet and General Manager Brian Lawton conceded Monday that with only 10 games remaining, their No.1 goalie's return isn't likely.

"I know Smitty would like to come back, but with every game [that passes], it's a moot point," Tocchet said. "Right now, if he can't ride a bike 20, 25 minutes hard without getting a headache, I mean, there's no chance he's going to put pads on."

Smith, out since Jan.31 with post-concussion syndrome, rides a stationary bike for 20 minutes during a morning routine. Monday, he donned pads for a team photo and left before practice began for tonight's game against Columbus.

Lawton said it's "absolutely not a given" Smith won't play again this year, insisting the team isn't holding him out to protect him through meaningless games and that if Smith received medical clearance in time for the last game, he would still play.

But the GM allowed "it would be unrealistic for him not to be in full practice for at least 10 days" before playing, and there are 19 days left in the regular season.

Lawton said he is "100 percent" confident Smith can fully recover from his "freak" injury, pointing out that it's rare for a goalie to get kicked in the head by a teammate, as Smith did in a Dec. 2 game against the Flyers.

"He's actually had a concussion before," Lawton said. "One positive is it shows he was able to come back from it. One negative would be the more you have, the more susceptible you become to these things."

Tocchet said his optimism about next season would be considerably more tempered if he couldn't count on Smith returning.

"He proved the first half of the year that he can compete with the other elite goalies in the league," he said. "I don't know what I'd think if I didn't have Smitty next year. There would be a lot of sleepless nights."

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