Oilers need to give Talbot a breather down the stretch
Cam Talbot is being overworked, and what happened Thursday night should be a lesson for Todd McLellan.
The Edmonton Oilers head coach made the head-scratching decision to start his No. 1 netminder in the second game of a back-to-back against the NHL's worst team, the Colorado Avalanche, and it wasn't a surprise the move backfired.
Talbot was pulled prematurely for the second straight game, allowing four goals on 15 shots before the Oilers rallied for a come-from-behind win after backup goalie Laurent Brossoit came on in relief.
The comeback may not have been directly related to Brossoit's play, given the Oilers scored five goals in the third period, but it might not have even been necessary if McLellan had simply rested Talbot instead of plugging him as the starter for the 14th consecutive time.
Talbot has started a league-high 67 games, appearing in seven more than the next closest goaltenders, Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild and Frederik Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
His numbers have been respectable (37-21-8, 2.40 GAA, .920 save percentage), but he's showing signs of wearing down, allowing eight goals on 33 shots in his last two abbreviated appearances combined.
Brossoit didn't give up a goal in either of his relief appearances this week, but those opportunities have been few and far between all season. The 24-year-old has played only six games and started only two in 2016-17. Before the two back-to-back relief stints, his previous appearance came more than a month earlier, on Feb. 21 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After the trade deadline passed, Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli said the club decided to go with the goalies they have because they were confident in Brossoit's development, but the backup hasn't been given the chance to do much developing from the bench.
If there were a perfect time to rest Talbot and give Brossoit a start, it was Thursday night's game. Talbot struggled against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, and the following night's matchup with the league-worst Avalanche presented a prime opportunity to give Talbot a much-needed breather.
The Oilers can't do anything about the past, but what can they do in the season's final drive? Here's what their schedule looks like before the playoffs begin:
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 3/25 | COL |
| 3/28 | LAK |
| 3/30 | SJ |
| 4/1 | ANA |
| 4/4 | @LAK |
| 4/6 | @SJ |
| 4/8 | @VAN |
| 4/9 | VAN |
Five of Edmonton's final eight games come against key divisional rivals, and the third-place Oilers still have their sights set on the top spot in the Pacific, sitting only two points out of first.
The heavy divisional slate late in the season only further emphasizes the need to sit Talbot beforehand. Saturday's rematch with Colorado provides one of McLellan's last chances to do so, and he surely wants Talbot to be fully energized for the club's most critical contests.
The coach can't afford to wait until the away/home back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks at regular season's end to get Brossoit another start. It should have happened sooner, and if the Oilers care about Talbot's energy level in the playoffs, it has to happen Saturday.