Oilers goaltender Mike Smith has been a key contributor in Edmonton’s run through the playoffs and a major reason why the team is on the cusp of a trip to the Western Conference final. However, on Tuesday night, he made a mistake that nearly cost the Oilers a Game 4 victory.
After Edmonton raced out to a 3–0 lead in the first period, Calgary slowly started to claw its way into the game, eventually bringing the score back to 3–2. Then, early in the third period, Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson launched a clearing shot from his own defensive zone on a penalty kill towards the opposite net. Smith never picked up the shot and puck went in to tie the game, 3–3.
Here’s a closer look at Smith’s gaffe:
According to the NHL, the shot traveled 132 feet.
Smith’s error didn’t end up costing the Oilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored off a rebound with 3:27 remaining to give the team a 4–3 advantage and Evander Kane added an empty-net goal to seal a 5–3 victory. The Oilers goalie even made a few clutch saves down the stretch.
“I can laugh now, right?” Smith said after Edmonton’s win. “I don’t think there’s been a time in my career where I’ve lost the puck, where I have no idea where it went.
“You don’t want that to happen … ever. It was an unbelievable goal by Nuge at the end there … A win is a win.”
The Oilers took a 3–1 lead in the series with Wednesday’s win. They’ll look to close out the Flames on Thursday in Calgary and advance to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2006.
