By Canadian Press

Cam Talbot makes 26 saves for shutout, Oilers win fifth in a row

Oct 28, 2016 | 9:45 PM

VANCOUVER — The Edmonton Oilers are rolling right now and it’s not just their much-touted, high-flying offence making the push.

Oilers goalie Cam Talbot has been sensational to start the season and on Friday night he helped shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0 at Rogers Arena with a 26-save effort.

Talbot, who has started all eight games this season, recorded his second shutout in three games, as the Oilers pushed their win streak to five games.

“It’s probably one of the best stretches of my career right now,” said Talbot. “I’m trying to stay focused, stay confident, and go out there and give us a chance to win every night.

“I need to go out there and make the saves I’m supposed to make and hopefully make a few I’m not supposed to make.”

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Connor McDavid scored on a breakaway in the second period and Milan Lucic added an empty-netter for the Oilers (7-1-0).

Talbot’s only blemish this season was a 6-2 drubbing on Oct. 16 to Buffalo. Talbot allowed all six of those goals, but he has since rebounded impressively.

“After that game I told myself what I told myself last year: just go out there and try not to do too much, make the saves I am supposed to make, start there and then build off of that,” he said. “I did that the next night out. I am in that kind of groove right now and hopefully I can keep it going.”

The Canucks (4-3-1), meanwhile, are searching for answers after being shutout two games in a row. They are among the bottom of the NHL in scoring with 14 goals and haven’t scored since Oct. 23 in Anaheim. They have also lost four straight after starting the season with a four-game win streak.

“We have to keep grinding away and get some goals,” said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin. “It’s a long season. If you keep playing the same way over and over you are going to bury those (chances) sooner or later. It’s a matter of us keeping it going and not change things just because we’re not scoring right now. It’s going to come.”

McDavid broke the stalemate when he took a backhand pass from Lucic and wheeled past the Canucks defence to slip the puck through Ryan Miller’s legs at 11:31 of the second. That extended McDavid’s league lead in points to 12 (five goals, seven assists).

“I knew if I got it to him he was gone,” said Lucic. “I don’t care who you match up against him, with his wheels, he is going to beat most guys up the ice and he showed it tonight.”

A quiet first period erupted midway when Erik Gudbranson took exception to a Zack Kassian check and traded blows with the ex-Canuck. Soon after boos rained down for local product Lucic when the hulking Oilers forward took a roughing penalty, but the Canucks squandered the power-play opportunity.

There was more end-to-end action in the second with Jannik Hansen getting a point-blank shot from the slot that Talbot turned aside. The Oilers goalie also made a spectacular glove save on Markus Granlund midway that had the large contingent of Oilers fans cheering.

Talbot continued to impress early in the third as he swatted away a Henrik Sedin slapshot. At the other end, Miller faced down McDavid on another breakaway, but this time made a fast glove save to keep his team in the game. Miller finished with 25 saves.

“(McDavid) was hard to handle tonight,” said Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins. “He created three or four great chances just with his speed.”

Jason Keller, The Canadian Press