Goalies Jacob Markstrom, Mike Smith have bad gaffes in Edmonton Oilers’ Game 4 win vs. Calgary Flames
The goaltending in the Calgary Flames-Edmonton Oilers series has been interesting, to say the least.
The opening game of the second-round series was a 9-6 Calgary victory in which Oilers goalie Mike Smith was pulled after giving up three goals and the Flames’ Jacob Markstrom had a .786 save percentage.
Though Smith rebounded as Edmonton took a 2-1 lead in the series, Markstrom, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, gave up nine goals over the next two games and was pulled for the third period of Game 3.
Though both goalies made good saves in Game 4, they also each made a bad gaffe.
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Markstrom’s was first. He went behind his net to play the puck, only to bobble it and have it go straight to Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who fired in the puck ahead of a diving Markstrom 21 seconds into the game.
It was 3-0 by the first end of the first period, but the Flames rallied for two goals in the second period and tied it in the third, thanks to a gaffe by Smith.
Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson fired a shot from his defensive zone on a penalty kill and the puck eluded Smith’s glove for a 3-3 score.
According to the NHL summary, the shot traveled 132 feet.
The gaffe ended up not costing the Oilers. They went back ahead 4-3 on another Nugent-Hopkins goal, this time on a rebound, with 3:27 left in the third period.
Smith made a couple strong saves as the Flames pressed for the equalizer and Evander Kane scored an empty-net goal. It was his second goal of the game and 12th of the playoffs.
The Oilers, 5-3 winners, took a 3-1 lead in the series. They can wrap it up Thursday night in Calgary and reach the conference final for the first time since 2006.
Wednesday’s game
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET, TNT. Avalanche lead 3-1.