from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

Sometimes, you just can’t put it any better than they do.

“I don’t think anyone thought we’d be here, one period away from the conference finals,” said Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, after he’d rolled yet another heroic performance in a 2-1 Game 7 loss. “I’m proud as hell to be a part of this group right now and I’m looking forward to the future with this team.”

In a nutshell, right?

In their first Game 7 of their maiden playoff voyage after the Decade of Darkness in Edmonton, the Oilers simply weren’t ready to beat the Anaheim Ducks. There’s no shame in that — Anaheim is very good, mega-experienced, and has beaten this Edmonton team for fun for longer than most of these Oilers have been National Hockey League players.

When it was all on the line, and Team Canada veterans like Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry stared down the barrel of a fifth consecutive home-ice Game 7 loss, they simply refused to allow the narrative to continue. We should respect them for that — they’re too good to carry that yoke any further.

Anaheim was better Wednesday night, winning by a score that flattered Edmonton on the whole.

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