Talbot, who is 5-2-0 with a .944 save percentage and a 1.93 goals-against average in his last eight games, spent parts of four seasons in Edmonton, leading the Oilers to within a game of the Western Conference Final in 2016-17.
That year, he played a mind-boggling 73 games, compiling a career-best, 42-22-8 record, along with a .919 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average.
He feels he's back to that level as a Flame now, with chart-topping numbers across the board since Dec. 1.
Impressively, Talbot has an incredible .961 save percentage at even-strength, besting Toronto Maple Leafs backup, Michael Hutchinson, who's next in line at .957, in that span, and is coming off a season-high, 42-save effort on Thursday in a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild.
So, yeah.
He's hot.
"It's not [like any other game] but that's the way you have to approach it," he said. "Anytime you try to over-think things or put too much pressure on yourself, that's when things can go wrong. I'm just going to go out there, play the same game, and let the guys do the same in front of me.
"There's a fine line between getting too amped up and not maybe focusing on the little things as much. Against a team like this, the little details are what is going to be a factor tonight. We can't go running out of position to make a big hit or something like that, when maybe your job is to hold back and prevent an odd-man rush. Those little details are going to be huge tonight against a team that can put the puck in the net."
Understandably familiar with the tendencies of the sharp-shooting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Talbot laughed when asked who had the advantage after so many years together.
"That's tough to say," he laughed. "There are a lot of good shooters over there and that's what makes them so great, is they never do the same thing twice.
"It's going to be a game of patience on my part and try to make them make the first move."
