The Edmonton Oilers may be 2-1 to start the season, but their games have had multiple holes and flaws to improve on.
One of the concerns is the amount of goals that Cam Talbot has let in. In his first three starts, he has surrendered at least three goals. While he does appear a bit rusty, there is no reason to truly be concerned about his play between the pipes.
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First off, let’s look at the role of a goaltender. They are the last line of defence, and thrive when they have a strong defencive line in front of them. However, it looks like it Edmonton’s blue liners haven’t turned the tide in their first three games.
With Edmonton’s poor puck possession, as well as numerous penalties, the defence has often held Talbot out to dry. Not to mention, the Oilers’ forwards haven’t been strong on the back check, and the team is surrendering multiple shots per game. In their first game against Calgary, the Oilers allowed the flames 41 shots on net.
Sure, since that first 7-4 victory, the Oilers defence has improved and limited the opposition’s shooting attempts. However, looking at their performance against the Buffalo Sabres, none of the Oilers seemed ready to play. In fact, Bob Stauffer made a strong point regarding Edmonton’s overall performance.
Talbot surrendered six goals on 24 shots, and the team couldn’t even pull him thanks to Jonas Gustavsson’s injury. However, the entire team played poorly. No one was able to keep up with Buffalo, nor really cared to stop them. The team also allowed Buffalo six power-play opportunities, two of which they scored on.
Edmonton also had 12 giveaways, and though they blocked 11 shots on goal, the team gave up the puck too many times and put themselves in danger. And when they did, they weren’t sharp on the backcheck and paid for it.
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I’m not saying that Talbot shouldn’t take accountability. He is responsible for those soft goals that went in and eventually cost the Oilers the game. However, it wasn’t only him who had a poor night, and for that, the Oilers can’t fall back and place all the blame on the goalie’s shoulders. Instead, they should focus on the performance of those five men that come before him.
The only defensive area where the team thrives is when it comes to hits, but they must do more to protect Talbot and prevent the opposition from getting those scoring chances.
Also, keep in mind that Talbot may not be in the correct mindset to start the year. His wife is expecting twins any day now, and that could be throwing him off. While he should be able to stick to hockey, this is surely in the back of his mind. He recognizes that he has not been the best so far, and is willing to improve.
There is no reason to be concerned about the Oilers’ goaltending. Talbot has been the best netminder that the Oilers have had between the crease in years. In fact, his stats in 2015-16 were better than those of every Oilers goalie to spend time in Edmonton.
As I mentioned a long time ago, with a young, promising goaltender like Talbot between the pipes, there is no reason the Oilers need to worry about their last line of defense.
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