Cam Talbot Pro Reads 4
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It’s been three years — and three teams — since we last connected with Cam Talbot for a Pro Reads video breakdown session back in 2022, during his second season with the Minnesota Wild. Talbot was coming off his first NHL All Star Game appearance at the time and has since been back as an All Star with the Los Angeles Kings last season, which followed one season with the Ottawa Senators.
Now, in the midst of a great first season with the Detroit Red Wings, Talbot returns as the perfect Pro Reads guest, both because he credits a late-career surge to his consistent use of the segment’s new sponsor, Vizual Edge, which he started with the Wild, and because of how well he sees the game after 12 NHL seasons.
Look for more from Talbot on Vizual Edge in this weekend’s episode of the InGoal Radio Podcast but first let’s get to his return to Pro Reads.
THE SEQUENCE
Talbot is facing a power play sequence against the Pittsburgh Penguins and a couple of future first ballot Hall of Fame forwards in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin:
As Crosby collects the puck off a rebound to Talbot’s left, what factors are you looking for in terms of his passing options? We’ll give you a hint and tell you that defenseman Erik Karlsson, a right shot, is at the point but out of the picture.
Who is thre most dangerous player at this point? Is it Crosby? Is it Maklin at the side of the net, who just missed a backdoor chance? Is it Karlsson? Is it the guy in the bumper facing Crosby? Or is it the forward at the left dot? Why?
What about the defender’s positioning plays a role in identifying that?
THE SAVE
Watch the sequence and replays below to see if the option you worried about most was the one that played that ended up getting the puck:
See it play out, did you pick the correct threat? Did your reasons play a role? What did you notice about Talbot right before the pass was made? What did you notice about how he played the pass in terms of his push across and how it helped?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear from Talbot as he shares his thoughts on how he played this:
Watch Cam Talbot break down the full video for you
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- Talbot breaks down his save on a Crosby-Malkin power play for the Detroit Red Wings, facing multiple simultaneous threats including a backdoor Malkin, a bumper forward, and Erik Karlsson at the point.
- Identify the highest-danger threat on a power play by reading defender positioning and the shooter's body angle before the pass is made, not after.
- Talbot credits consistent use of Vizual Edge vision training, which he began with the Minnesota Wild, as a key factor in his late-career resurgence across stops in Ottawa, Los Angeles, and Detroit.
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