By Canadian Press

Cam Talbot gets shutout as Calgary Flames beat Dallas Stars 2-0 in NHL playoffs

Aug 14, 2020 | 11:43 PM

EDMONTON — Goalie Cam Talbot stopped 35 shots for the shutout, leading the Calgary Flames to a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars in NHL playoff action Friday.

The Flames lead the best-of-seven first-round series 2-1. Game 3 is set for Sunday.

They won without Matthew Tkachuk in the lineup. Tkachuk, the team’s top point-getter in the regular season, was knocked woozy in Game 2 and didn’t dress.

Mikael Backlund and T.J. Brodie scored for the Flames.

Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin, making his first start of the series, turned aside 21 shots for the loss.

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The teams were playing the second game in two nights. The tempo was slower and there was a lot less post-whistle pushing, shoving, swearing, and face-washing.

After a scoreless first period, Backlund scored his third of the playoffs shorthanded. He jumped on the puck after Dallas’s Roope Hintz fell down at centre. He cut in on the backhand and managed to roll the puck up and over Khudobin’s pad.

Talbot held the Flames in the game, particularly in the second period, when Dallas outshot Calgary 16-4.

Midway through the third period, Brodie fired a slapshot through traffic for the insurance goal, the puck zipping by Khudobin as Calgary’s Derek Ryan fell on top of him, knocking his mask off. The referees determined there was no goaltender interference as the puck had already gone in before Ryan collided with Khudobin.

Tkachuk (23 goals, 61 points in the regular season) was out after getting sandwiched between Stars Jamie Benn and Jamie Oleksiak late in Game 2. After the hit, Tkachuk looked wobbly. He returned to the bench, went down the tunnel to the dressing room and didn’t return.

Talbot was the understudy to David Rittich during the regular season, but looked better in the exhibition game against Edmonton in return to play action and has played every minute of the post-season.

Signed as a free agent last summer, Talbot started 22 games in the regular season, logged a 12-10-1 record with a .919 save percentage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 14, 2020.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press