The Edmonton Oilers' 2016-17 success might just rest on the performances of two players: Connor McDavid and Cam Talbot.
McDavid has been the league's best offensive weapon all season, but it's been Talbot's exceptional play in the cage that has kept the Oilers alive as they've grown into a legitimate force in the West.
Talbot earned his 32nd win of the season Tuesday night, as Edmonton took down the St. Louis Blues in a close 2-1 tilt. The Oilers netminder did his part, turning aside 25-of-26 shots.
With 32 wins on his 2016-17 resume, he's now tied for second in the league, sitting level with Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky - fine company to be keeping at this point in the season.
He's also in good company in terms of team history, as the win helped him climb another rung on the Oilers' all-time single-season list. He now sits level with Curtis Joseph in fourth place, and unless Edmonton falls apart down the stretch, he'll undoubtedly move even higher.
| Player | Wins | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grant Fuhr | 40 | 1987-88 |
| 2. Tommy Salo | 36 | 2000-01 |
| 3. Andy Moog | 33 | 1982-83 |
| 4. Curtis Joseph | 32 | 1996-97 |
| *4. Cam Talbot | 32 | 2016-17 |
The Oilers have 18 games left, and considering Talbot has started 57 of their first 64 tilts, it's likely he'll get a fair amount of chances to improve on his total. There's a good chance he'll post the most single-season wins in franchise history by year's end.
It's safe to say Edmonton has finally sorted out its starting goaltender problems.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.