Alberts Šmits got the full rookie welcome in his NHL debut Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins: the game sped up, the reads came quicker, and a few plays he’d like back found their way onto the tape.
That’s the kind of first night that tests an 18-year-old defenseman, even one who had looked steady all through training camp and the preseason. Šmits had done enough there to win a spot on the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster, and he arrived with a reputation for being consistent and reliable. But once the puck dropped in Boston, the pace hit him fast.
Šmits said the lesson was pretty clear.
"I just gotta make better decisions at some points,” Šmits said. “I made a couple plays that weren't there, and I would like to take those back. But I think the best thing I can do right now is just think about it, learn from it, and move on and try to not make the same mistakes in the future."
Mike Sullivan didn’t sound alarmed by the rough edges. If anything, he liked how Šmits adjusted as the night wore on.
“I’m sure there were some anxious moments for him,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “I thought when the game started, it was happening fast out there for him, but I thought as the game went on, he settled down. I think his size, his reach, the way he leans on people, his ability to defend, his mobility, I think all of that is evident.
“I think when he gets himself in trouble is when he tries to do a little bit too much and try to make a soft play to the middle. That’s when you need to make a simple play. I think as a young player, you are going to make those types of mistakes and you’ll learn through those experiences, and our job is to try and help him do that.”
Šmits finished with 16:54 of ice time, along with one block, two hits and two giveaways.
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