Turns out, all the Edmonton Oilers had to do was trade Justin Schultz.
In all seriousness, the Oilers wrapped up a four-game road trip with a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Edmonton recorded three wins and a loss on the trip, and they have goaltender Cam Talbot to thank.
Talbot's been a wall of late. He stopped a remarkable 105 of 107 shots in three games on the trip, good for an astounding .981 save percentage. He's won four in a row, allowing a goal or less in each start, and has a .979 save percentage over his last four games, and a .967 save percentage over his last six games. Phenomenal numbers, yeah.
After a slow start to his career in Edmonton, Talbot's been heating up since December. He's proving he's a No. 1 goalie, and proving he's worth the draft picks the Oilers used to trade for him, and the faith the club showed in him by signing him to a three-year contract extension.
Month | Starts | SV% |
---|---|---|
October | 9 | .897 |
November | 3 | .864 |
December | 6 | .934 |
January | 9 | .932 |
February | 12 | .914 |
March | 3 | .981 |
"Things are going in the right direction right now," Talbot said after Sunday's win. "I just want to keep it up."
"It's almost becoming routine for him, but I don't think it's easy by any means," said head coach Todd McLellan.
They're almost alarming words to write: The Oilers may have themselves a goalie.