You don’t often see goaltenders making passes like the one Mike Smith made.
On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers were deadlocked with the San Jose Sharks 1-1 in overtime after the away team engineered a third period comeback. Coming off a rush, the Sharks were looking to put things away early with a shot from Brent Burns, but Smith gloved the shot with ease.
Normally, in that situation, goaltenders would either freeze the puck or play it to a corner. Instead, Smith took a few strides out of his net and… made a breakout pass in stride to Connor McDavid streaking down the far boards.
And, of course, McDavid buried the shot on the breakaway, giving the Oilers the incredible 2-1 overtime victory off Smith’s stunning assist.
MIKE SMITH ➡️ CONNOR MCDAVID FOR THE WIN 😱
Captain Connor scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner for the @EdmontonOilers off an incredible pass from his goalie. pic.twitter.com/Wen5AVqsWX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 6, 2022
What an awesome moment! I also love how McDavid points down to Smith in his celebration before the pair hug to cap off the victory. Talk about a creative play to get McDavid the puck on a breakaway for the overtime win.
