Back It Up

Goalies are voodoo, or so they say.

What’s not voodoo? Cam Talbot needs a couple of days off. Cam Talbot needed a day off yesterday. And, they day before that.

The Oilers have played 74 games this year, and Talbot’s played 67 of them. That’s an awful lot. It’s seven more than Devan Dubnyk. Talbot’s 3933 minutes played is over 400 more minutes than second place Frederik Andersen. You get the picture. It’s a lot.

The last time someone not named Cam Talbot started a game for the Edmonton Oilers was on February 21st, more than a month ago. And you’re not gonna believe this, but Talbot looks tired.

Talbot was pulled for the second consecutive game after yielding four goals. Laurent Brossoit made sixteen saves in relief of Talbot on Wednesday. He only needed to make six saves last night against the Avalanche, but thanks to a five goal outburst by the Oilers in the third period, it all worked out.

Laurent Brossoit is a real, live player currently on the Edmonton Oilers roster and the Oilers are doing themselves no service by keeping him on the bench as of late. So get him in. Play the man. Give Talbot a game or two off.

The Oilers will face off against Colorado again tomorrow. The club ought to start Laurent Brossoit, who’s held the fort in two recent relief appearances.

Edmonton can’t afford to burn out Cam Talbot when they’re on the precipice of their first playoff berth in eleven years.