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Edmonton Oilers fans got Mike Smith flashbacks after Jarry OT blunder

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
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Jan 14 2026, 1:00 pm
Edmonton Oilers fans got Mike Smith flashbacks after Jarry OT blunder
Sportsnet

It wasn’t quite the return to the lineup that Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry was hoping for.

After missing 11 games with an injury, the 30-year-old Jarry finally returned to the Oilers’ crease against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. It was an unfortunate spot to make a return, as he got a tired Edmonton squad in front of him on the backend of back-to-back games, and it showed just a little too much.

The Oilers’ goaltender had his work cut out for himself as he had to come up big on multiple occasions to help push the game into overtime. After 60 minutes, the scoreboard read 3-3 and, despite an iffy .884 SV% through regulation, Jarry was a big reason why Edmonton was able to salvage a point on the night.

Unfortunately, the game ended bizarrely after Jarry lost a race to the puck and found himself way outside of his net, leaving an open cage for Roman Josi to win the game for Nashville.

While Jarry made some exceptional saves to keep the Oilers in this one, all anybody will remember is his gaffe in OT that led to the loss. It was a scenario that brought back some memories for Oilers fans, who couldn’t stop comparing the play to the antics that ex-Edmonton goalie Mike Smith would get up to.

There were numerous occassions throughout Smith’s Oilers tenure (between 2019-20 and 2021-22) where he would get caught outside the net, leading to a goal against.

“My Mike Smith trauma just came flooding back. Is there anything worse than a goalie who can play the puck?” wrote one Oilers fan after the play.

“Mike Smith special,” said another.

“The Mike Smith flashbacks I got lmao,” said another disappointed Oilers fan.

Not only was Mike Smith a popular callback after the goal, but so was Stuart Skinner, who was also prone to mishandling the puck. Some were quick to point out the Edmonton native’s sudden resurgence with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fans of other NHL teams were quick to jump on the Oilers.

“Thought they traded Skinner,” said one hockey fan.Ā 

“Looks just like Skinner,” said another.

 

It’s a tough look for Jarry, but it’s easy to rag on a player for making one mistake and to forget that this is his first loss since joining the Oilers. He has yet to lose a game in regulation while playing for Edmonton.

He will certainly be looking for some redemption in his next start, which could come as soon as Thursday night against the New York Islanders.

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