Smith impressive in season debut
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl helped keep the Edmonton offence ticking over, each extending their points streak to 10 straight games. But the Oilers profited from a team effort Monday in a hardfought 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
Veteran goaltender Mike Smith, in his first start of the season, was rock-solid in stopping 27 shots. Former Senator Tyler Ennis scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and Josh Archibald added an empty-setter with 1:10 to play.
The teams meet again tonight at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Edmonton coach Dave Tippett liked his team’s defensive effort and the fact the Oilers got better as the night wore on.
“Pretty solid right throughout the lineup tonight. It felt like a good team win,” he said.
Draisaitl also scored for Edmonton (7-7-0). Evgenii Dadonov scored for Ottawa (2-10-1).
The 38-year-old Smith, who had been on long-term injury reserve since Jan. 15, saw his first action since March 11, 2020. Mikko Koskinen had started 12 of the Oilers’ 13 previous games with former Lethbridge Hurricane Stuart Skinner starting the other.
It was career regular-season game No. 611 for Smith.
“He was really strong, really dialed in,” said Tippett. “The only one they got was one that was shot in the net ourselves.”
Ottawa went ahead at 5:33 of the second period after Brady Tkachuk chipped the puck out of the Sens zone, leaving defenceman Adam Larsson to chase Dadonov as he raced towards the net.
Larsson got a stick to it, inadvertently flipping it past Smith, with the goal credited to the Russian. Smith stopped Connor Brown in alone later in the period.
Matt Murray was also strong in the Ottawa goal, facing 35 shots. But the Sens offence managed just one goal for the second game in a row and sixth time this season.
“We didn’t get to the goalie near enough and when the goalie sees the puck in this league, they make saves,” said Ottawa coach D.J. Smith.
Draisaitl beat Murray through the five-hole at 15:11 to tie it at 1-1 with his eighth of the season after the Sens failed to clear their zone and turned the puck over.
Ennis, after a nifty toe-drag to wait out a sliding defenceman, beat Murray with a low shot on a 2-on-1 for his first of the season after Ottawa was caught on a line change at 6:09 of the third.
“We make a mistake and it’s in the net,” said Ottawa's Smith.
Archibald scored into the empty net with 1:10 remaining after McDavid won the puck in his own end.
Edmonton was 0-for-4 on the power play.