Edmonton Oilers: Cam Talbot Coming in Clutch as Starter

The Edmonton Oilers didn’t play the best defensive game against the Vancouver Canucks Sunday. However, they had Cam Talbot there for them to steal the win.

The 29-year-old netminder made 33 saves for his sixth shutout and 36th victory of the season. He looked excellent, standing on his head in times of peril. When the Canucks started swarming in the final 20 minutes of regulation, Talbot was there, coming up huge. He stoned them with his glove and displayed tremendous lateral movement.

Edmonton Oilers

With his agility and hotness of late, Talbot is climbing the record books with Edmonton and is proving to the organization that he can be their go-to guy in net.

Night in and Night Out

There has been no shortage of play for Talbot. He has played all but three games since Dec. 9, and has been displaying excellent stamina. This is his first season where he has been trusted as the team’s starter, and he has delivered. He has played the most games of any other goaltender in the NHL, and he is proving why.

“He’s in tremendous shape and he’s an efficient goaltender,” head coach Todd McLellan told Sportsnet. “He’s not all over the place. Between whistles he’s not having a seance. He’s resting and relaxed and he’s trained for it.”

Talbot has come in clutch multiple times throughout his career. Most notably, he was the team’s go-to starter in net after Henrik Lundqvist fell victim to injury in 2014-15. Over that span, he was 12-2-3, boasting a .923 save percentage.

Now, he is delivering as the Oilers’ starting netminder. He is tied for second in the NHL with 36 wins, and his .921 is tied for seventh-best in the league. Talbot also sits four victories behind Grant Fuhr for the Oilers record of most wins in a season. Overall, he has been coming up huge for the team, while proving that he has what it takes to start each game.

Talbot’s Thriving

Since his time with the Oilers, Talbot has become a much-stronger goaltender. His stats are impeccable, and he boasts a 2.35 GAA. He has been quicker moving across the crease and better at keeping track of the puck. Talbot doesn’t play a soft game, and more importantly, he is quick with his glove.

Of late, Talbot has been excellent when it comes to snatching the puck out of mid-air. He makes sure he is in perfect position, and that helps him come up big. Not only that, he has been quick laterally, and though he needs to improve with rebound control, he doesn’t let that slow him down.

The Oilers are successful now for many reasons, but Talbot is a huge factor. He is also one of the big reasons why this team can reach the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.