Talbot carries Oilers past Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Cam Talbot made 39 saves, Patrick Maroon scored a power-play goal and the Edmonton Oilers moved halfway to the Western Conference finals with a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of their second-round series Friday night.

Andrej Sekera scored an early goal for the Oilers, who took the first two games on Pacific Division champion Anaheim’s home ice. Talbot was the difference in Game 2, making all manner of impressive saves while Anaheim dominated the last 30 minutes.

Jakob Silfverberg scored and John Gibson stopped 21 shots for the Ducks, who had gone 18 games without a regulation defeat before this series. Anaheim has never recovered from an 0-2 series deficit, losing all seven series after digging that early hole.

Game 3 is today in Edmonton.

Edmonton’s first playoff appearance in 11 years is off to a rollicking start, with the Oilers following up their six-game defeat of defending Western Conference champion San Jose by taking two games from the five-time champions of their division.

Anaheim has lost two consecutive games after an 18-game run since March 10 without a regulation defeat.

Although the Ducks dominated long stretches of play, Talbot had the latest outstanding game of his first career postseason run as a starting goalie. After posting two shutouts in the first round, Talbot stopped 72 of 76 shots in the first two games in Anaheim, including a number of outstanding stops to frustrate the Ducks in Game 2.

The Ducks also hit multiple posts, particularly in the one-sided third period. Nothing could get by Talbot, who made most of his tough saves well before the final eight minutes.

After a four-goal third period in the series opener, the Oilers entered the rematch with plenty of the same energy. The sellout crowd was still finding its seats when Sekera scored just 65 seconds into Game 2, slipping a long shot past Gibson for the defenseman’s second career postseason goal and his first since 2011.

Anaheim gradually turned the period in its favor, but couldn’t score. Edmonton also had golden chances, such as Connor McDavid getting alone and untouched in front of Gibson during a power play, but couldn’t cash in.