Why Mike Smith, Edmonton Oilers goalie is the most intriguing player in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs

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Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith He’s an agent of chaos. He is the most exciting player in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffsAccording to Edmonton-area cardiologists, it is.

His teammate, Connor McDavidHe is the most exciting and entertaining player in the playoffs. It is poetry in motion to watch him play. Watching Smith play is like watching a Reddit comment where every word is capitalized or misspelled.

“The Matrix” saw Neo, the savior proxy, and Agent Smith as the result of machines’ equations trying balance themselves. McJesus’ algorithm is basically balanced by Smith of the Oilers. McDavid is unable to comprehend the basic laws and gravity of hockey without Smith’s help. McDavid needs Smith to give up his goals in order to get more.

But hockey still needs Smith’s quick and decisive saves to win to the Oilers. This will ensure McDavid’s extraordinary performances are not wasted.

“Battle” is the most popular word used by the Oilers,” stated Allan Lowetide Mitchell (a blogger and radio host from Edmonton). He is never out of a game. He’s not always completely present in a play. In A play is also possible.”

Smith is 40 years of age and is in his 16th NHL year. Smith’s long, scraggly playoff hair and scraggly beard remind me of a 1990s alt rocker who is on a 2022 reunion tour. He has a gruff, worn-out look that is indicative of someone who has seen almost 21,000 shots at his goal during his career. His goaltending style requires less technical finesse than is necessary to save pucks.

“He plays extremely deep in his goal and comes out way, way out for the puck,” Cat Silverman said. Cat Silverman was a goaltending analyst that covered Smith during Smith’s time as a journalist. Arizona Coyotes. “When he feels it he’s unstoppable. He has such a command. It’s something that few other goalies can match. He can look hot if he is off by a tiny bit.

After Smith’s stint with the rival, the Oilers signed Smith to their roster in July 2019. Calgary FlamesSilverman was questioned by Edmonton fans and media about his performance.

She recalled, “I said, “You guys will love him half of the time and then you’re going be wondering why your team signed him,”.

This playoff run by the Oilers is an example of that. Analytically Smith is still the best goaltender competing in the postseason. He has the highest number of goals saved beyond expected per 60-minute (1.01) among all netminders. His traditional stats put him right in the top ten. Tampa Bay Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy Save percentage:.932 for Vasilevskiy, 0.931 for Smith Smith became the oldest NHL goalie to record a shutout during the first round of Game 7. closed out The Los Angeles Kings 2-0.

Even with all of the statistical evidence of his playoff success, there still are moments that make one cringe. Losing five goals to the Kings. Calgary’s Game 1 match ended in six minutes.

Mitchell stated, “It’s almost like the episode of ‘The Simpsons,’ in which Homer has a heart attack but not really, and then has a heart attack but not really.”

In Alberta, the Battle of Alberta was the most important catalyst for cardiac episodes. Game 4Smith gave up one of the most infamous goals in Stanley Cup playoff history.

While short-handed, Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson The puck was thrown from just above the defensive zone faceoff circle. It glided down the ice. inexplicably past Smith into the Edmonton netAt 10:56 of third period, the Flames completed a comeback and tied the game 3-3.

Calgary was enjoying the celebration on the ice when Smith made the “C’mon!” Smith appeared to make the “C’mon!” motion to… anyone? Something? Mitchell believed it to be the arena lighting.

“He let the puck in, and it looked as if he was saying, “What the hell?” “Give me a chance to look at it!” He replied. “We could have been discussing that goal for over 100 years, if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins It doesn’t get that score [next] goal.”

Smith was saved by the Oilers’ center with their winning goal less than six minutes later.

“I can still laugh now. Smith asked reporters following the game. “I don’t think there’s ever been a moment in my career when I lost the puck or didn’t know where it went. Talking to other guys, I realized that I wasn’t alone in not knowing where it went.

Silverman was astonished to see the Andersson goal and her ears to Smith’s comments.

He said that he could not recall a time when he had lost the puck, and that he didn’t know where it was. The man was scoring on himself by having the puck in his pants. “So I don’t know what he can say,” she stated.

Mike Smith, right there. While he will make some amazing saves for you. However, he operates in his own reality which can mean giving up a goal like last night.

A goalie was named Evgeni Nabokov Who played 10 seasons in the San Jose Sharks In the early aughts. His reputation was that he would make every save the Sharks expected from him during the playoffs, but then he would surrender a goal at the worst time to cost them a series.

Smith, I think is the exact opposite. He makes exceptional stops when it’s needed most. He wins every game, even when you think he is done.

Mitchell stated that “I believe in mathematics, so none is likely to be true”, but that he almost believes chaos thrives on him.

Perhaps the Oilers have the same idea. Perhaps they are aware that there is a sign on the boards that says “…”[BLANK] SHOT ATTEMPTS EVER SINCE THE LAST MIKE SCHMITH GAFFE” motivates them to score as many times as possible. Look at Game 4.

“We had to push on. This is what happens. Bounces happen. Nugent-Hopkins declared that there’s no stopping us in our game.

After scoring that long goal against me, they could have packed it in. Smith stated that Smith was impressed by Smith’s resilience. “We found a solution to win a match. This is what you do in the playoffs.

Smith and Edmonton fans have had a long-standing relationship. Mitchell had been arguing for two years that Oilers should have improved the position in the offseason. They tried. It is well documented that the Oilers attempted to obtain Darcy KuemperThe current starting price for the Colorado Avalanche?, and Jacob MarkstromSmith is currently outplaying Smith in Battle of Alberta.

(My favorite postseason theory is that Smith and Markstrom touched the same enchanted idol simultaneously and then body-swapped in “Freaky Friday” style before the series. Look at that goal Markstrom surrendered at the start of Game 4. Mike Smith has a special Mike Smith deal!

Smith began to change the tides with his fans in April when he went 9-0-0 with an impressive.951 save percentage. This was the year Edmonton made the playoff cut. This love grew in Battle of Alberta. Smith was run into By Milan Lucic In Game 3, the players left the ice, and then returned to the locker room.

“Every Oilers coach and [GM] Ken Holland and his family have stood by him. They have been loyal to him. Fans have not always been so loyal to him. Mitchell stated that he was hit in the back by Lucic, and he came out to a roaring crowd. It almost seems like he is returning next year to be the crowned king after this crazy trip.

This is perhaps the most chaotic aspect of Mike Smith’s story: The Oilers could welcome this frequent pariah back for his 17th NHL-season.

“The thing is Holland likes old goalies. Mike Smith is Holland’s midcareer. Mitchell laughed, saying that Mitchell could see him signing him once again. He’ll be a legend if they finish this series. He won’t. Grant Fuhr Or Bill Ranford You can even get it! Andy Moog. He’ll be [2006 playoff hero] Dwayne Roloson. There’s always a story.

At 41 years old, will you be back in Edmonton’s crease for the next postseason?

Let chaos reign.

Jersey Foul Award of the Week

Madison Square Garden

Medical science reveals that the body can be affected by a variety of factors. Petr Mrazek It is not possible to successfully attach jersey to a Henrik Lundqvist jersey, but we are. FrankenJersey, one Foul. Another is the inability to choose a lane during a playoff series between these teams.

Video of Week

My dad is the one who gave me my passion for sports. His favorite highlight was not a play but the aftermath of one.

It happened in 1986 in a match between the New York Jets & the Buffalo Bills. After a melee in which Jets defensive line Marty Lyons delivered a few punches at Bills quarterback Jim Kelly at the bottom a pile, referee Ben Dreith memorably announced to the crowd:

Incredible ab-lib. This is a wonderful thing for referees. This is especially true in hockey.

Game 3 between the Calgary Flames And Edmonton Oilers, referee François St-Laurent had his own moment of glorious improv. He announced a 5-minute major on Milan Lucic For charging, he looked around at the other six penalty box players and said: “Everyone else sitting in penalty box gets two minute for roughing.”

NHL playoff games can be quite long. It is better to cut to the chase.

Weekly winners and losers

Winner: Nathan MacKinnon

A rare treat is to watch a star player work their will in a series or a game. McDavid has done it twice in Edmonton. MacKinnon did it in Game 5 for the Avalanche. It was a four point game and a hat-trick that culminated with an instant classic goal. The speed. The speed. The dressing of Nick Leddy. The end.

It was MacKinnon at his best, captured in a single instant — even though it took place in the third period in tie games to give the Avalanche vict…wait a minute…

Loser: Anti-climax

MacKinnon’s exclamation mark was actually a comma. The Blues scored in 56 seconds of Game 5, and again in overtime, to end Colorado’s moment. St. Louis deserves to be praised for sitting on the bench and watching the hats hit ice after MacKinnon’s goal. And then finding something to tie the game and win it. That’s impressive.

Carolina wins at home

Looking ahead to Thursday night’s match against the New York RangersAs their defense has allowed opponents to score 1.17 goals per game, the Hurricanes are now at 6-0.

Carolina is the loser

As their defense has given opponents 4.20 goals per game, the Hurricanes are now 0-5 heading into Game 6 in New York.

They’re known as the Hurricanes. They are the 1982-83 Hartford Whalers. It’s ridiculous.

Winner: Nazem Kadri

As Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson According to him, “To go through all of that crap the last couple days, no one should have had to go that.”

Kadri experienced it. the racist comments, the threats of violence It is something he has done throughout his NHL career. The response in Game 4 was remarkable, with the hat trick. To emphasize that not all St. Louis fans were treating him this way. Jordan BinningtonHis injury was exceptional. Kadri was a great person to talk to when I met him earlier in the year. he touted this maturity and desire to be a more disciplined person Under the pressure of the playoffs. He kept his focus throughout the week and walked the entire walk, despite all of the trash around him.

Loser: Craig Berube

It is fine for me to see the Blues expressing their disapproval at Kadri’s past actions towards that team. As did the Department of Player Safety, I believed that Binnington’s death was an accident and not Kadri trying to injure him.

Berube’s insinuation of something more sinister about Kadri will no doubt have fueled the anger of St. Louisans on the Colorado player. And while Berube finally got around to decrying the racist comments and threats Kadri was initially sent these messages. Although they initially offered a “no comments”, this is contrary to the way the hockey world must unite to eliminate racism off the ice. But, again, Berube made it through.

Winner: Andrei Vasilevskiy

Vasilevskiy may be too caffeine-aware for coffee that is meant to be enjoyed closer. You can read the Tampa Bay LightningIn the series-clinching games he played in the last three postseasons has the goaltender recorded a 0.77 goals-against-average, a.974 save%, and six (!) shutouts.

As a teammate Alex Killorn He said, “It’s quite cool to play alongside a player I think will go down in history as one of the greatest goalies that’s ever been played the game.” This is how you can gauge players: how they perform during big-time games. He has been nothing but extraordinary in these games.”

Loser: Florida Panthers“Offense

The playoffs goal scoring is consistent with what we saw during the regular season. Well, at the very least it was for all those who weren’t named the Florida Panthers.

Florida averaged 2.3 goals per match in the playoffs. This was down from 4.11 goals/game in the regular season. It was also the highest average goal rate for any team since 1995-96. Their power play improved from fifth place in the NHL to one-for-31 in playoffs.

Now what? Change the coach. Hire some scum who are capable of scoring ugly goals in the postseason. Or will Florida experience a philosophical crisis like the “Young Guns?” Washington Capitals When their regular-season mojo wasn’t translating to the playoffs, they began to wonder whether it was the way they play. That last one was a good sign. Keep going!

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This piece was written by Kristen Shilton. on McDavid leveling up.


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