Shtalenkov Hasn’t Changed

Goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov looked and sounded the same Friday morning. His ready smile and wry sense of humor indicated he hasn’t changed much since the Ducks left him unprotected in the June expansion draft and the Nashville Predators, who nabbed him, traded him Oct. 1 to the Edmonton Oilers.

And he hoped to show the Ducks he is the same, reliable goalie they knew and depended on for his first five NHL seasons.

“It’s nice to be back in California,” Shtalenkov said. “I’m looking forward to playing against my old team. At the same time, it’s just another game.”

Just another game Shtalenkov hoped to win, that is. And win he did, improving his record to 6-3-1 with Friday night’s 3-2 overtime victory.

Unlike his tenure in Anaheim, Shtalenkov has so far split the goaltending duties with veteran Bob Essensa, who is 4-4-1 with a 2.77 goals-against average. He was primarily Guy Hebert’s backup as a Duck.

Loads of playing time, along with heavy October snows in Edmonton, are something new for Shtalenkov. He has kept his home in Lake Forest, but has begun to adapt to the Great White North.

“I think [Edmonton] is a nice town,” he said. “It’s a real hockey town. Wherever you go people ask, ‘Are you the new goalie for the Oilers?’ I’ve never experienced anything like that before. So far, I like it.”

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Paul Kariya’s first-period assist on Antti Aalto’s first NHL goal was the left winger’s 300th NHL point. . . . Defenseman Fredrik Olausson returned to the lineup after sitting out three consecutive games. He replaced Pavel Trnka.