The Edmonton Oilers have now strung together their third five-game win streak since Jay Woodcroft took over as head coach and have taken the first two games of a three-game California road trip. Those wins came over the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 6-1 and the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in overtime.
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Those two teams were the weaker of the three on this trip but the Oilers have been great in those games to allow the team to gain confidence on the road again as well as help out the goaltenders. Sure, there are still lapses in their game defensively, more so from the defencemen, but Mike Smith has stood on his head and hopefully turned his game around just in time for when games matter the most (from ‘Player grades: Edmonton Oilers lit up by Flames for nine goals in putrid defensive effort’, Edmonton Journal, March 27, 2022).
Smith Has Been Excellent in Past 2 Starts
Prior to his last two starts, Smith allowed nine goals in a game and a half to the Calgary Flames and the St. Louis Blues. He played in only half of the game against the Flames and held on in the win over the Blues despite struggling. On most nights he has looked slower and has been noticeably out of position on certain plays, resulting in goals or very close chances.
Getting to his last two starts, he has saved 62 of 64 shots for a save percentage of .969. He also made a big stop at the beginning of overtime and sent Connor McDavid in alone on a breakaway to win the game. His puck-handling has never been in question even though he messes up here and there, but that is a point you can give a lot of credit to Smith in helping the Oilers earn.
Mike Smith, Edmonton Oilers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
He has built his save percentage up to over .900 (.901) for the first time since before his fifth start of the season and he has a positive win/loss record for the first time since before his sixth start. Playing non-playoff teams isn’t…
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