Cam Talbot set the Cam Talbot NHL record for most different teams won with as a goaltender, picking up the victory in his Columbus Blue Jackets debut Friday night in a 3-2 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 39-year-old stopped 20 shots in regulation and overtime, then turned away all three Chicago attempts he faced in the shootout to close it out.
The win made Talbot the first goaltender in NHL history to win a game with nine different franchises, breaking a three-way tie for the record. It also made him the oldest goaltender in Blue Jackets franchise history to earn a win.
The Main Development
Talbot’s shootout performance sealed the record-setting night. He stopped every shooter he faced in the tiebreaker, preserving a game Columbus controlled for most of the evening.
“The guys did an unbelievable job to start. We were all over them, we controlled the pace of that game from pretty much start to finish,” Talbot said after the game.
He added that the result carried extra weight given how the team played in front of him. “We deserved to win that game. And for me to let them down, would have been hard for me after the way we played. So, I’m just glad that I could seal a win,” Talbot said.
What The Cam Talbot NHL Record Means
Talbot’s win with the Blue Jackets broke a tie with Curtis McElhinney, Sean Burke and Ron Tugnutt, who had each previously won games with eight different teams. Columbus marks the ninth franchise Talbot has won with, following stints with the New York Rangers, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Calgary, Minnesota, Ottawa, Detroit and the Los Angeles Kings. Columbus coach Rick Bowness credited Talbot’s experience for the result.
“There is a veteran. He knows how to play. He knows how to keep himself in the game.
He’s been around, and he played outstanding for us, clearly,” Bowness said.
Context On Talbot’s Arrival In Columbus
Talbot signed a one-year contract with the Blue Jackets on Sept. 14, according to NHL.com. Friday’s game marked his first appearance in net for Columbus. At 39, he is in his 13th NHL season, making him one of the more experienced goaltenders currently playing in the league.
What’s Next
Talbot and the Blue Jackets will look to build on the win as the early season continues. Columbus enters the next stretch of games with a goaltender who now owns sole possession of an NHL record for franchise breadth, a mark Bowness attributed directly to his veteran composure in net.
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