GAME OF THRONES
Talbot resumes backup role
If Cam Talbot is in net for the Rangers, it’s possible something has gone terribly wrong.
Maybe it’s one of the rare nights where Henrik Lundqvist — the Rangers’ franchise goaltender — let one too many pucks slip past him and Talbot is called upon to spare the man further embarrassment. Maybe Lundqvist has injured himself, leaving Talbot in the unenviable position of filling Lundqvist’s shoes.
Or perhaps, in some far less sinister scenario, Lundqvist simply needs a night off.
Whatever the case may be, Talbot occupies a unique place in the hockey world. As understudy to one of the National Hockey League’s best goaltenders, he spends most of his time watching the game instead of playing it.
Or at least he was that guy until Feb. 8, when Lundqvist was felled by a sprained blood vessel in his throat. The injury, which put the Swedish goalkeeper at risk of a stroke, kept him out of play for over a month, giving Talbot a chance to prove himself.
To his credit, Talbot performed brilliantly under difficult circumstances, posting solid numbers in Lundqvist’s absence and keeping his team atop the Eastern Conference standings.
But with the big Swede back in the lineup, Talbot reclaimed his spot on the bench against the Bruins on Saturday. This season, he spoke about the life of an NHL backup goalie, offering a candid take on one of the game’s least coveted positions.
The hardest part about Talbot’s job is not playing, he says.
“You don’t want to lose your game edge,” said Talbot. “Practices give you a lot of odd- man rushes and shots, but not a lot of game situations. Even the most intense practice is nothing like an actual game. So you stay after practice and you work with the goalie coach.”
As for the games themselves, Talbot spends most of them sitting alone, observing the other team. He isn’t watching passively, he’s scouting their offence, decoding individual players’ habits or a certain line’s offensive strategies.
“Sometimes I’m watching Hank ( Lundqvist), sometimes I’m watching the other goalie, just different situations that they react to and what kind of styles they play,” Talbot said. “Do you go leg- down in certain situations? Do you tie up with players at other points? It’s just being aware and watching the other team’s tendencies just in case, for some reason, I have to be thrown in.”
While apprenticing under Lundqvist, Talbot hasn’t changed his game or his behaviour much. Whereas Lundqvist undergoes a sort of transformation on game day — he goes from gregarious to quiet, he retreats inward, focusing intensely on what lies ahead — Talbot can compartmentalize himself from the game a little better. But still, Talbot says there are benefits to working with someone who’s won 334 games as an NHL goalie.
“We play a bit of a different style but ( Lundqvist’s) work ethic, his motivation are impressive,” Talbot said.
Talbot didn’t dream of watching from the sidelines, but that’s what he does most nights and he’s OK with that. But he’s also been thrust into the spotlight and he’s stolen games with his talent and determination, so he doesn’t hesitate when asked if he one day wants to lead a team of his own.
“I think every goalie, from the time you grow up, first of all you dream of becoming an NHL goalie second of all you’re dreaming of being the starting goalie,” he said. “That’s pretty normal. Being the backup to one of the best goalies in the world, it’s a great honour, it’s a great opportunity and he’s a great guy to learn from but, ultimately, my goal is to be a starting goalie in the NHL. Whether it be in New York or somewhere else.”