BLOG: Smith discusses the shootout

EDMONTON, AB - One goalie and one skater; the shootout in a nutshell. Some players or netminders might enjoy the end-of-game skills competition but Mike Smith isn't one of them.
"I don't really have a favourite thing, to be honest, about anything to do with a shootout or penalty shot," the guardian admitted to reporters Thursday from the Oilers Hall of Fame Room. "It's fun for the fans more than anyone else. In the moment, you're just trying to keep the puck out of your net."
In Wednesday's 2021-22 season opener at Rogers Place, Edmonton held onto a two-goal lead until the final 10 minutes of the third when Vancouver rallied for the comeback to force the fourth period. The Oilers didn't register a shot on goal in overtime and Smith denied the three pucks he faced, preferring to continue the 3-on-3 action rather than going mano-a-mano. "That would be fine with me. Three-on-three is not the easiest thing, either, for a goaltender but it's definitely exciting," he said.

The Oilers certainly boast the firepower to burn opponents in the shootout with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman serving as threatening options but an unlikely hero surfaced on Wednesday. Winger Kyle Turris, known for having one of the cleanest releases on the club, slipped the puck 5-hole on Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko in Round 5 of the shootout to secure Edmonton's first two points of the year. Through his time in Oil Country, Smith knows who is a good shootout surprise when the game is on the line.
"We saw Tys (Tyson Barrie) score a nice one in the pre-season. He got a shot last night but didn't have the same result. He's definitely a guy that's got some mitts out there," Smith, alluding to the team's dark horse, started.
"In shootouts, there's no pressure from anyone else out there. When he gets an open shot, Turris has one of the best shots in the League. We have lots of players that are capable of scoring shootout goals."
At the end of the day, a win is a win but the veteran would prefer to close out games in regulation as opposed to the skills comp. "Hopefully we don't get into too many of those this year but if we do, we'll fare OK."