Arizona Coyotes' Mike Smith changing offseason training plan to prevent slow start in 2015-16

The emergence of the backup goalie during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is a cautionary tale for the 14 NHL starters — including the Coyotes' Mike Smith — who weren't invited to participate.

Five understudies have merited starts so far and only one was because the starter (illness) was unavailable. Another two netminders, the Wild's Devan Dubnyk and the Senators' Andrew Hammond, have played as starters despite not even being in the running for the role in the fall.

If given an opportunity to matter, many will capitalize.

And while Smith's rank as the Coyotes' No. 1 option isn't in jeopardy, this lesson proves the scale among NHL goaltenders is always sliding toward a results-first mentality. Fortunately for the Coyotes, Smith didn't need to watch the playoffs to learn that.

He already had decided to invest in a new offseason regime to ward off the poor starts that have plagued him during most of his tenure in Arizona.

"In the past, it's been coming into camp and working myself into game form whereas this year I'll be coming into camp on all cylinders," Smith said.

The Coyotes have made it clear they aren't stripping Smith of his status. They had the opportunity to do so during the season when Dubnyk's play made the case for more playing time, but management squashed any potential goalie controversy by trading Dubnyk to Minnesota.

Smith, who will dress for Canada at the IIHF World Championship next month, is anchored by a six-year, $34 million contract that includes a no-movement clause for the first half of the deal and a no-trade clause for the rest.

Even so, it's up to him to perform like a No. 1 and warrant the responsibility and to be better prepared, he's tweaking his routine.

Last summer, Smith spent most of his time in the Valley and regularly skated with teammates leading up to training camp. But that primer ended up hurting Smith more than helping him.

"You're playing 3-on-3, 4-on-4, whatever it may be, and no one's hitting," he said. "No one's playing the game how it's supposed to be played. In turn, you get into bad habits."

This summer, Smith will return to Toronto to work with goalie coach Jon Elkin, who has mentored Smith since he was 12 years old.

Elkin plans to work with Smith on his movement and reads, but he acknowledged most of Smith's struggles were "between the ears.

"I'm very confident he'll bounce back and be prepared," Elkin said. "He's just that type of guy. He's the type of guy to learn from his mistakes and learn from his experience. He's a real competitor."

Since joining the Coyotes, Smith's save percentage has dipped below .900 in the first month of the season twice. This past October, it sat at .866.

Conversely, he has an average save percentage of .923 in March during the past four seasons. Actually, this past March boasted his highest clip, .934, while the Coyotes were near the bottom of the standings, a precursor to their third straight non-playoff finish.

"When things don't go right and you're getting criticized and you start to doubt your ability, I think you kind of lose your confidence and it's not a good feeling," Smith said. "So I think that was hard to get out of."

Midway through the season, Smith began working with a sports psychologist and plans to keep that communication going. The talks helped him focus on the positives in his own play, and that's an important development in his role as a leader, too.

"I was … almost too attached to winning, and I'm so competitive and when you don't have those results, it can affect the way you play and it can affect the way your teammates perceive you," Smith said. "So I learned a lot about that this year, as a person and a player, and when I started to worry about stuff I could control and not other people's jobs, I started playing better hockey."

The Coyotes should be encouraged Smith has developed a track record of playing up to snuff when the games are supposed to matter the most, in March and April. But that significance can be sabotaged in October and November.

Smith can help change that.

"I want to come in and be ready to go from Day 1," he said.

With the pack

Coyotes goalie Mike Smith has not yet lived up to his contract, posting numbers that could use a turnaround beginning this fall.

2011-12: 38 wins, 18 losses, 10 losses in overtime or shootout, .930 save percentage and 2.21 goals-against average.

2013 (games began in January because of work stoppage): 15-12-5, .910 save percentage and 2.58 goals-against average.

2013-14: 27-21-10, .915 save percentage and 2.64 goals-against average.

2014-15: 14-42-5, .904 save percentage and 3.16 goals-against average.