Talbot shines for Oilers, but he can’t match Smith
Battle of Alberta gets chippy and tense as the Flames’ goaltender puts on a clinic
When you’re out of the playoffs, the end of the season is rife with moral victories.
There’s also moral losses, like the 1-0 goaltenders’ duel Tuesday between the Calgary Flames’ Mike Smith and Edmonton Oilers’ Cam Talbot. They saw 60 shots and only one puck found its way into the net — officially, anyway. Oilers winger Zack Kassian thought he got a piece of rubber from under Smith’s pad and over the goal-line in the first period, but referee Tom Chmielewski blew the play dead.
“Usually, when you only give up one, you’re in pretty good business,” said Talbot, who was helpless on Johnny Gaudreau’s quick backhand under the bar early in the second period. “He’s got some of the best hands in the league in tight situations. You give him that much time and space in front and you have to make a great save there. I didn’t.
“I thought I made some big saves but couldn’t match Mike. After Calgary ’s last game, Mike was very vocal about his team’s (poor) starts and he came out in this one, settled them down and made the huge saves when he needed to. Credit to him.”
The Oilers had won seven straight against the Flames over two seasons and scored 19 goals in three games at the Saddledome, but didn’t get a sniff in this one against a Calgary team on the outside looking in at a wild-card spot. The Oilers showed just as much resolve as the Flames in the orneriest battle of Alberta this year or last, with face-washes, scrums, bodies and swears flying.
But they were shut out 1-0 for the third time this year, all on the road (Toronto, Arizona and Calgary). On the season, they ’ve been blanked eight times, five at home.
Smith, who missed a month with a leg injury, was rusty against the New York Islanders on Sunday, but he robbed Ryan Strome late in the second and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid early in the third. He dove around the crease in the last minute when the Oilers pulled Talbot on a power play with Dougie Hamilton in the box.
He talked the talk after the loss to the Islanders.
“It starts with your play on the ice. It’s hard to talk in the room to you (reporters) when you don’t go out and do your job,” Smith said.
The Oilers only had 28 shots, but at least 10 were high-end.
“They’re probably not where they deserve to be in the standings, but they can still burn you,” said Smith, who made five stops on McDavid.
“I watch a lot of hockey, and every game he’s on the scoreboard or around it. He can change a game over the course of a couple of seconds.”
In the last minute, the Flames played like it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.
“You could see it at the end with guys laying down to block shots. Huge block by (Matt) Stajan,” Talbot said.
He was on the bench for an extra skater when the fourth-line centre, playing his 996th NHL game, stopped the Oilers’ last shot.
“What can you say? We get the late power play, everything ’s at the net. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Credit to them,” Strome said.
Cliche, but very true.