Dan Muse told his goaltenders after the Penguins' practice Friday in Voorhees, N.J., that he'd be making a switch for the must-win Game 4.
Muse made clear that the decision to turn to Arturs Silovs in Game 4 wasn't a reflection of Stuart Skinner's play in the first three games. But after going down 3-0 in the series, change for the sake of change had its benefits.
Silovs rose to the occasion, stopping 28 of 30 shots faced in the Penguins' 4-2 win, to extend the series and the Penguins' season.
It had been quite awhile since Silovs had played a meaningful game. He had one start over the final stretch of three meaningless games and got in the third period of the regular-season finale. But prior to the Penguins clinching a playoff spot, Silovs hadn't played since the back-to-back against the Panthers on April 4th and 5th, getting into that second game on late notice because of Skinner's eye injury.
I asked him if it was at all challenging to step into a playoff game after not playing a meaningful game in three weeks, and he shrugged off the idea,
"I actually felt very good about myself," he said. "We did a really good job overall."
Silovs has a history of rising to the occasion in the postseason. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet was unsurprised to see Silovs step in and play so well, because he's seen it before -- Silovs was forced into net under Tocchet with the Canucks in 2024, as the third goaltender due to injury, and Silovs carried the Canucks through the remainder of the series against the Predators, then took the Oilers to Game 7.
That trend was again made evident last season, when Silovs was in the AHL with Vancouver's affiliate in Abbotsford. He had a respectable regular season, with a .908 save percentage and 2.41 goals-against average with no shutouts in 21 games. Once the playoffs rolled around? He posted a .931 save percentage, a 2.01 goals against average and five shutouts in 24 games.
Silovs showed more of that ability this season at the Olympics. He got Latvia their lone win of the tournament, an upset over Germany -- the country's first win at the Olympics since 2014 and only their fourth win ever -- after stopping 26 of 29 shots.
What changes for Silovs once the stakes are at their highest?
"Just the atmosphere," he said. "You know, it's meaningful hockey. Everyone does their hardest. You know you're playing for something, and there's an ultimate goal to do something. It's fun to play, to be part of it."
Silovs is almost certainly going to be part of it moving forward. He was in net for their lone win of the postseason so far, there's no way they turn away from him in net going into Game 5. The switch in goal wasn't the reason for the win, but Silovs was part of the solution in the end. They have to stick with what worked going into Monday's must-win game.
He's looking forward to more starts like this one, too.
"Playing in the playoffs is the most fun you can ever have," Silovs said. "You've been waiting for a whole season to get at this point. I'm just enjoying every minute of it."
THE ASYLUM
Silovs seizes his playoff shot
Dan Muse told his goaltenders after the Penguins' practice Friday in Voorhees, N.J., that he'd be making a switch for the must-win Game 4.
Muse made clear that the decision to turn to Arturs Silovs in Game 4 wasn't a reflection of Stuart Skinner's play in the first three games. But after going down 3-0 in the series, change for the sake of change had its benefits.
Silovs rose to the occasion, stopping 28 of 30 shots faced in the Penguins' 4-2 win, to extend the series and the Penguins' season.
It had been quite awhile since Silovs had played a meaningful game. He had one start over the final stretch of three meaningless games and got in the third period of the regular-season finale. But prior to the Penguins clinching a playoff spot, Silovs hadn't played since the back-to-back against the Panthers on April 4th and 5th, getting into that second game on late notice because of Skinner's eye injury.
I asked him if it was at all challenging to step into a playoff game after not playing a meaningful game in three weeks, and he shrugged off the idea,
"I actually felt very good about myself," he said. "We did a really good job overall."
Silovs has a history of rising to the occasion in the postseason. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet was unsurprised to see Silovs step in and play so well, because he's seen it before -- Silovs was forced into net under Tocchet with the Canucks in 2024, as the third goaltender due to injury, and Silovs carried the Canucks through the remainder of the series against the Predators, then took the Oilers to Game 7.
That trend was again made evident last season, when Silovs was in the AHL with Vancouver's affiliate in Abbotsford. He had a respectable regular season, with a .908 save percentage and 2.41 goals-against average with no shutouts in 21 games. Once the playoffs rolled around? He posted a .931 save percentage, a 2.01 goals against average and five shutouts in 24 games.
Silovs showed more of that ability this season at the Olympics. He got Latvia their lone win of the tournament, an upset over Germany -- the country's first win at the Olympics since 2014 and only their fourth win ever -- after stopping 26 of 29 shots.
What changes for Silovs once the stakes are at their highest?
"Just the atmosphere," he said. "You know, it's meaningful hockey. Everyone does their hardest. You know you're playing for something, and there's an ultimate goal to do something. It's fun to play, to be part of it."
Silovs is almost certainly going to be part of it moving forward. He was in net for their lone win of the postseason so far, there's no way they turn away from him in net going into Game 5. The switch in goal wasn't the reason for the win, but Silovs was part of the solution in the end. They have to stick with what worked going into Monday's must-win game.
He's looking forward to more starts like this one, too.
"Playing in the playoffs is the most fun you can ever have," Silovs said. "You've been waiting for a whole season to get at this point. I'm just enjoying every minute of it."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits!
We’d love to have you!