The Penguins absorbed yet another dose of shootout frustration tonight, now 1-7 overall and 1-6 when it's Arturs Silovs in the crease.
He was solid through regulation and overtime, stopping 22 of 25 shots, but the skills competition again proved costly as he allowed two goals on four Columbus attempts:
For the season, he's allowed 13 goals on 20 attempts.
“The first one they scored," he said of Kent Johnson's goal, "I thought I was all over it, but somehow it found a way. I’ll keep working on it. I think we’re getting better, but I think there’s still a higher level.”
He emphasized the importance of keeping perspective. The Penguins forced overtime with a third‑period push, and he pointed to that resilience as something upon which to build.
“For sure, you want to win in a shootout,” he said. “I think we played a really good overtime, scoring a late goal in the third to tie the game and get a big point. After that, you want to win the game but things happen and just get ready for the next one.”
Two of Silovs' best saves came midway through the third period, first denying Adam Fantilli on a clean breakaway, then sliding across the crease to robJohnson on a two‑on‑one moments later. Those kept the game tied long enough for the Penguins to salvage a point when Sidney Crosby scored with a minute to go.
“I think I was pretty good,” Silovs said of his overall performance. “Sure, maybe you want to stop more, but I think overall it was a pretty good game.”
Still, the broader issue looms. The Penguins sit third in the division with 55 points in 47 games, but the steady drip of shootout losses is beginning to erode their margin for error. They’ve left seven extra points on the table.
And it isn’t solely on the goaltender. The shooters have struggled just as much, converting 7 of 24 attempts this season, a 29.2% success rate that ranks 16th in the 32-team NHL.
“It’s costing us points, so we're going to continue to work at it,” Dan Muse said. “I think each night, there's a different story to it. I thought Arty made a couple big saves, gave us a chance in it today. We also need to score goals. So, we’ve got to put work in on both sides."
THE ASYLUM
Silovs: 'I think I was pretty good'
The Penguins absorbed yet another dose of shootout frustration tonight, now 1-7 overall and 1-6 when it's Arturs Silovs in the crease.
He was solid through regulation and overtime, stopping 22 of 25 shots, but the skills competition again proved costly as he allowed two goals on four Columbus attempts:
For the season, he's allowed 13 goals on 20 attempts.
“The first one they scored," he said of Kent Johnson's goal, "I thought I was all over it, but somehow it found a way. I’ll keep working on it. I think we’re getting better, but I think there’s still a higher level.”
He emphasized the importance of keeping perspective. The Penguins forced overtime with a third‑period push, and he pointed to that resilience as something upon which to build.
“For sure, you want to win in a shootout,” he said. “I think we played a really good overtime, scoring a late goal in the third to tie the game and get a big point. After that, you want to win the game but things happen and just get ready for the next one.”
Two of Silovs' best saves came midway through the third period, first denying Adam Fantilli on a clean breakaway, then sliding across the crease to rob Johnson on a two‑on‑one moments later. Those kept the game tied long enough for the Penguins to salvage a point when Sidney Crosby scored with a minute to go.
“I think I was pretty good,” Silovs said of his overall performance. “Sure, maybe you want to stop more, but I think overall it was a pretty good game.”
Still, the broader issue looms. The Penguins sit third in the division with 55 points in 47 games, but the steady drip of shootout losses is beginning to erode their margin for error. They’ve left seven extra points on the table.
And it isn’t solely on the goaltender. The shooters have struggled just as much, converting 7 of 24 attempts this season, a 29.2% success rate that ranks 16th in the 32-team NHL.
“It’s costing us points, so we're going to continue to work at it,” Dan Muse said. “I think each night, there's a different story to it. I thought Arty made a couple big saves, gave us a chance in it today. We also need to score goals. So, we’ve got to put work in on both sides."
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