Players, COaCH GIVe TalbOT Pass On POsT-HOOK TanTrUM
Hitchcock more concerned that goalie got no on-ice support in loss to Blackhawks
It’s been a long time since Patrick Roy vowed he would never play another game for the Montreal Canadiens, having been left to twist in the wind for nine goals in a humiliating loss to Detroit.
We bring it up because it looked like things might be going down that a similar path Tuesday night when Cam Talbot got the hook six minutes into the third period against Chicago.
It got pretty tense there, with Talbot firing a death stare at head coach Ken Hitchcock and then storming to the dressing room, where he remained for the final 14 minutes of the game instead of returning to the bench.
It was an uncomfortable scene on a night full of them.
While Roy felt he’d been left in too long, Talbot thought they yanked him too soon.
But he isn’t demanding out. True, his days in Edmonton are probably numbered, but that’s because they made a snap judgment and committed to Mikko Koskinen, not because of any irreparable damage in the wake of Tuesday’s game.
“It’s never a great situation when you have to come out of the net, especially in a tight situation like that,” said Talbot, who was largely the victim of the team in front of him when the Hawks scored three times in 5:51 to pull ahead 4-2.
“At the end of the day that’s the coach’s decision and you have to respect that.”
Talbot knows he should have rejoined his teammates on the bench at some point and spoke to them about it afterward, but says he was just trying to decompress after a very emotional turn of events.
“I usually take a few minutes to cool off,” he said, adding he’s usually back on the bench before very long.
“It was a highly emotional game, I was frustrated with how things went in the third period. I’ve never been pulled in the third period before, either.
“I was in the wrong to stay in the room. I told the guys that after the game. They all had my back, they all understood I was frustrated. I did apologize to them after.”
Everything’s cool now. Hitchcock reiterated that the hook had less to do with Talbot and more to do with lighting a fire (it didn’t work, they lost 6-2) under a team that was choking away a third-period lead for the third game in a row.
“The goaltender was playing unbelievable, but we kept feeding them and feeding them and eventually we paid for it,” Hitchcock said, adding he isn’t at all bothered that Talbot was fuming and didn’t come back to the bench.
“Not one bit. I’d be very disappointed if I was him, too. He did everything he could to try to help us win the hockey game, but we gave up probably 15 10-bell opportunities.
“I don’t really care about (the tension surrounding the hook), to be honest with you. What I care about is if we play for the goalie. And we did not play for the goalie. So we get another chance Thursday.”
That’s right, Talbot gets the net for Thursday’s wild-card showdown with Minnesota.
“He’s starting Thursday,” said Hitchcock. “It’s our turn to play for him.”
That makes three of the past four starts for Talbot even though management just signed Koskinen to a three-year, US$13.5 million contract to be their starter.
Classic Oilers.
“I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to get back in there and have a good game,” Talbot said. “Rectify things a little bit.”
Nobody said it was easy being an Oilers goalie, but this season has been especially difficult for the 31-year-old former New York Ranger. He’s struggled at times, wound up losing his job to the new guy they brought in and just when it looked like he might have a shot at winning it back, they sign Koskinen to the big contract, presumably closing the book Talbot’s future in Edmonton.
“It’s been tough,” he said. “You go through some good stretches, and a few more bad stretches this year than I’ve had in my career.
“But I’m trying to go out there every day and make the saves I’m supposed to make, come to the rink every day and be professional. That goes a long way.”
Is there any hope he stays in Edmonton beyond the summer, or even the Feb. 25 trade deadline? Probably not, but no bridges have been burned.
“If that situation arises I’m not closing the door on anything,” he said. “I love this organization and this city. I’ve said it before, we’ve made this home. If there’s an opportunity we’ll definitely explore that.”