You know how it is when you’ve got a car that will start no matter how bad the weather looks, and it’ll get you where you want to go, just because…
There’s this belief that no matter how bad it is, it’ll be alright.
Meet the Edmonton Oilers.
After giving up three goals on the first nine shots, Mike Smith shut the door over the last 45 minutes just like Grant Fuhr used to and the Oilers scored three in the third to beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 for their fourth straight victory to go to 13-8 after their 3-6 start—the first time in almost 40 years they had come from three down, in a game on the West Coast. The last one was Oct. 19, 1983 when they went down 4-1 after 20, 6-3 after 40 and beat the Canucks 10-7 with seven in the third period.
Fuhr was actually pulled after the first six at the Pacific Coliseum, a rare off night for one of the 100 greatest players in NHL history, but there were so many Oiler nights in the ’80s when Fuhr gave up lots early but that was it.
Smith gave up a goal in the first minute from a terrible angle to Bo Horvat that he has no interest in seeing again on video and two others to Tyler Myers and Elias Pettersson.
Smith is the poster boy for never-give-up. That’s his attitude; he’s emotional, he’s sure of himself, and he’s now 5-0 to start a season for the very first time since starting in 2006.
“Kind of a weird first period but I wouldn’t change anything on how I played the first goal, found a way to go through for some reason…I don’t know if there was a hole in the ice or what and it went under my pad,” said Smith. “To be honest I wouldn’t play it much differently. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again this year. Then the second one deflects off Edzo’s stick (Ennis), then the third one that ping-pongs around and winds up on one of their best players’ stick (Pettersson).”
When asked, Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said he never considered giving Smith the hook and bringing in Mikko Koskinen.
“Two face-off battle plays we lost and on the first one, maybe Smitty would certainly like that one back,” said Tippett. “Smitty’s a battler, that’s what he does. I’ve seen that a lot over the years. He’s a vocal guy, came in after the first period and had a few things to say and our group did too. I give our guys a lot of credit for hanging around the game.”
“I’ve been in a lot of games where it can go one of two ways and I didn’t want it going the wrong way. I just told myself ‘let’s just try and keep our team in the game here.’ And we got a massive, massive two points,” said Smith, who came clean when asked if he saw the rally in the cards in the opening 15 minutes.
“Not at first but I’ve been around this team long enough to know we can score (they lead the NHL in goals with 76). It was all about keeping it to three. That win carries some weight,” said Smith.
‘I was in desperation mode’
Smith stopping the antagonistic Roussel, who punched Jesse Puljujarvi in the face for no reason in the second and took a silly penalty the Oilers almost scored on, was the slam-the-door moment with Roussel trying to tuck it through his pads. He lunged down with his stick.
Smith was channelling his inner Fuhr there, although you’ll never hear Smith saying he’s in the Oiler greats’ league.
“I think I’m very far from being compared to a player like that but it was important I stuck with it,” said Smith. “I didn’t want it to get to four (against). Grant was the king of that and that’s why he won so many Cups, so many championships. I wasn’t thinking of that (being as good), but the helmet probably helped out.
“It wasn’t by design, I’ll tell you that. Lots of times you just deal with it the way you can. I was lucky to get a piece of that with my paddle. I was in desperation mode.”
Smith has always believed in himself. He’s almost 39 and doesn’t care what other people say about how much he has left.
There’s still 35 games left in this 56-game COVID schedule, but the Oilers have won 10 of their last 12. No hole seems too deep to try and get out of.
“Absolutely I’m seeing it, I think the team’s feeling it,” said Smith. “We’ve scratched the surface and we’re really gaining confidence…the most important part was after we got the fourth one tonight, we kind of hunkered down and made sure they would have to make a really good play (to tie it). I’ve been in games the last two years where that game slides away…”
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