The Los Angeles Kings won Game 1 over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night thanks in part to a gaffe from goaltender Mike Smith late in the third period.
Smith has snow dropped six consecutive playoff games with the Oilers. Should they go back to him in Game 2? Or bring in Mikko Koskinen?
30 Comments
I think the loss is good for Smith and the team.
I think he plays game 2 and is locked in. I think the oilers will still take this series in 6 or 7
Of course I would start Smith, it was a close game. Once he looses one he usually comes back to win huge. Come on Oilers you need to win game 2. Go Oilers Go.
Smith got caught and hopefully he realizes that, but yes, start him again!
If the Oilers are willing to give everything they've got and fight for each other, they can still win this series in the end!!!✌🤐
Go with Smitty!
Shame you guys cant get another first rounder after this one is over.
Well this video is just insulting to the kings. The kings goals were not “so so”. First was a great snipe and second was a great play. The last goal, smith recovered but was screened. Kings had more shots and simply outworked the oilers.
I'm gonna get so much pushback on this but I would put in Stuart Skinner
I would start stu skinner! Smith looked flat !
We trade Smith for a brickwall that covers the entire net.
The goals were not all "so so" Maybe 1 and of course the 4th. Looked more like defensive lapses on counter attacks. Even the 4th goal after the mistake smith made the save but nobody could get possession or block the shot. I'd play him again. He made big stops also in the third..
Start smith again, he realizes his mistakes so I'm sure he'll be more cautious when playing the puck for game 2
No.
Smith has lost now 7 playoff games in a row so the pressure is getting too high for him. Put Koskinen in goal. He is not a super goalie, but he can keep the Kings down to a goal or two, if he gets the needed support from Edmonton defense. Then it´s up to McDavid and Draisatl to score those powerplay goals…
Kings will smoke either of them lol… oilers can’t win in the postseason.
That's your goalie controversy? How about Fleury and Talbot in MN.
It makes me sick how everyone In the media blames Smith .. don’t get me wrong but I don’t even like the oilers and this is why . It’s a team game and I can pick 1/2 dozen players on that team that didn’t show up for game one !
I didn't think this team would go far in the playoffs anyway the Avalanche look hot Calgary looks hot in the Maple Leafs look hot
There isn’t a viable alternative. Koskinen is too porous and causes too many turnovers when he leaves the net. Watch the 2006 team again, and look how physical they were. This crop doesn’t want to hit. The Kings wanted that puck, you could tell by how aggressive they were.
Should never have come down to Smith's play….thank 97 and his ""wow look at me go "" rush that led to the Kings go ahead goal…
Neither
smith played all around well other then his head getting to him but know it’s only game 1. Definitely not time to judge players wait till game 3 or 4 before you say anything.
No, they should play with 6 attacking players and an empty net all game.
Oilers will lose if their poor defensive zone coverage continues. You are looking at the wrong thing here.
Yes Mike Smith mishandled the puck and it wound up on an LA player's stick. But it didn't go in. There was a scrum behind the net and the Oilers had an opportunity to recover the puck. They didn't. Once the puck was in play again it is on the Oilers to recover the puck. If Smith had passed it up and the LA player fired it into the net. Yes the fault falls with Smith. But he actually stopped the shot covering up his own mistake. After that it is up to the Oilers players to recover. They didn't. So yes Smith's original error led eventually to the goal but he's not 100% at fault here. His teammates failed to back him up after he stopped the initial shot. And that lies with the Oilers D and Forwards.
he's too good not to realize that he made a mistake and he will hold himself accountable for that and scale back for the next game, so keep him
Smith is a superstar, but he's human. Hell yes the Oilers should start their superstar goalie.
This smith guy can’t get it done in the playoffs period. Pull him now before you lose another series and poor ol mcDavid has to do the awkward speech after they get eliminated again and again and again. He deserves to play deep in the playoffs, I’m tired of seeing that guy go home too early
Start Koskinen for game 2.
What a dumb video. Smitty makes one mistake and you ask if he should be started. No faith and now he's outplaying Markstrom