Oilers Postgame: Thank You Mr. Talbot

Final Score: Oilers 2 – Ducks 1

Apologies in advance for a shorter wrap up. I am currently on Whyte Ave and the Oilers just beat the Ducks. You can understand why….

There is no doubt that the Oilers deserved their win on Wednesday, that is for sure. Did the Oilers “deserve” tonight’s win? Well, probably not. With the shot total of the game at 40-23 in favour of the Ducks and much of the game being played in the Oilers end, it would certainly indicate that Anaheim deserved a better fate.

But guess what? This is playoff hockey and a lot of times a hot goaltender can absolutely derail fate. Mr. Cam Talbot decided to rewrite what Anaheim deserved tonight, and himself earned the victory. That is all that matters.

Considering that this was the game that many expected to be the most difficult for the Oilers, a win, no matter the format that the Oilers delivered it, is definitely welcome. We knew that the Ducks would come full of piss and vinegar. We figured that the Ducks would be buzzing with offensive energy. We had a strong feeling that Anaheim would do all they could to stifle the attack of the Oilers.

Well,for the most part, Anaheim succeeded in most of those efforts and despite all of that, the Oilers STILL won. Call it luck, call it good fortune, call it a gift from the hockey gods. No matter the title, a victory is a victory and the W counts all the same.

So sure, we can look at the sloppy play with the puck, the inability to breakout, the difficulty in preventing zone entries and the struggle to sustain pressure.

But let us look at all of that in the morning, after the exhilarating high of this game has worn off. Because let’s face it, tonight is a night to celebrate.

The Oilers are heading back home, in round 2, with a series lead of 2-0. This is terrific times ladies and gentlemen. Cam Talbot is playing stellar, scoring is coming from all angles (Andrej Sekera and Patrick Maroon scored tonight) and the Oilers are in a prime position to head to the Western Conference finals.

Seriously, is this real life?

I sure hope so. Just two wins seperate the Oilers from yet another round in the 2017 playoffs. Knowing how this team responds to less than stellar efforts, and with the series heading back to northern Alberta, things look quite alright in Edmonton.

Oilers Player of the Game

No doubt, this one was mainly all Cam Talbot. 39 saves, a number of them in the clutch variety, and a .975 save %. An amazing outing for Talbot.

Highlights

Connor McDavid is gooooood. pic.twitter.com/ZjAaRywtMy

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) April 29, 2017

HOT START! 🔥 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/d9WovFrAeA

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 29, 2017

Go to the net, good things happen. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/mzMN7Zneuf

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 29, 2017

Up Next: In Edmonton on Sunday

The series shifts back to Rogers and the Oilers have a 2-0 stranglehold on it. It is an early start time, so expect ALL Oilers fans eyes to be on this one, even the young ones. Another win and this run looks like a certainty to continue.