EDMONTON — Cam Talbot allowed a goal just 45 seconds into overtime in Edmonton’s 4-3 loss at home to the Ducks on Wednesday, but it was Anaheim’s first goal of the night that bothered the Oilers goaltender most.
With the Oilers leading 2-0 after the first period, Ryan Getzlaf scored just 1:37 into the second to get the Ducks back into the game. Talbot thought he was interfered with by Ducks forward Corey Perry in front, but the goal survived a video review.
Talbot can’t understand why.
“I thought that was pretty obvious,” he said. “I try to play with integrity and not flop and dive. Maybe I have to start doing that to get the calls. I don’t know what else to do on that one. He clearly hit my blocker and my pad and there was no way I could make that save.
“We were up 2-0 and they get a garbage goal like that early in the second and they got all the momentum and they never let it go until we got that goal at the end of the third. That was a turning point for sure. It gave them life and they never looked back from there.”
Oilers head coach Todd McLellan agreed with his goalie.
“I disagree with the call or I wouldn’t have challenged it,” he said. “I thought he interfered with blocker and hands and he (Talbot) couldn’t make the save. They didn’t see it that way. They gained a little momentum at that point.”
The Ducks went on to score two more goals in the second period, outshooting the Oilers 21-5 in the middle frame.
Edmonton tied the game with Talbot off for the extra attacker with just 1:42 remaining on a Drake Caggiula goal, but Jakob Silfverberg’s early goal in extra time tied the second round series up 2-2, heading back to Anaheim.
Getzlaf assisted on the winner and had two goals and two assists on the night, giving him eight points in the four games played in the series.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid said they can’t allow Getzlaf continued free reign.
“He’s a big body, he skates well and he is very skilled,” he said. “That adds up to a good hockey player. We have to find a way to control him.”
All four games of the series have been won by the road team, with Game 5 going on Friday in Anaheim.
“It’s a 2-2 series now,” Caggiula said. “We have to make sure we play a full 60 minutes going forward here. We were in this situation last series too, and it worked out just fine.”
The Oilers and San Jose Sharks were tied 2-2 in their opening round series, before Edmonton won the next two games to advance.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
