Unheralded Silovs comes up clutch for Canucks
NASHVILLE — During the first intermission of Game 4, a Sportsnet camera captured Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs wearing an ice bag on his head.
Perhaps we should have known then that he would be cool under pressure.
“When he’s playing as (well) as he is now,” Canucks forward Elias Pettersson said, “he has to cool himself off.”
In an ideal world, Silovs never would have dressed for a game in this first-round series against the Nashville Predators. But Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko went down after Game 1, and experienced backup Casey DeSmith joined him on the injured list after Game 3. That left Silovs, who had nine games of NHL experience, to get the Canucks past the Predators.
The little-known goaltender came up big Friday, recording a 28-save shutout to send the Canucks to the next round. He became the youngest Canucks goaltender to post a shutout in the playoffs and the 14th rookie goaltender in league history to do so in a potential series-clinching game.
“I just embraced the challenge,” said Silovs, 23. “I knew I had already played on big stages before, so I was already familiar with what could happen. … It was a great opportunity for me to play for the big club, and seizing the opportunity is even better.”
When Silovs entered the lineup in Game 4, he leaned on his experience last year at the IIHF World Championship, where he won MVP honours for Latvia. He did not appear overwhelmed at any point in the series. On the second shot he faced Friday, he shut down a Grade-A scoring chance by Anthony Beauvillier at the doorstep.
Under immense pressure in the waning moments of the game, Silovs held firm as the Predators pressed for the tying goal with two extra skaters on the ice. He finished the game with 2.67 goals saved above expected, according to Sportlogiq.
“I’m super happy for the kid,” Canucks forward J.T. Miller said. “What a crazy scenario he (was) thrown into. … I think it’s probably better that he got thrust into the situation. He seems like he’s not overthinking anything. He’s just being himself and taking in as much as he can and having fun with it.”
The Canucks are the first team since the 2011 Philadelphia Flyers to win a playoff series after starting three different goaltenders. Silovs’ time in the spotlight might not last much longer, but he left his mark.
“We had to filter through a few of them there,” Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers said of the team’s goaltenders. “For (Silovs) to step in as a young kid like that, step into playoff games, big games, and play the way he did, it was awesome. It was great to see.”
More from Sportsnet
‘The legend begins’: Hockey world reacts to Canucks’ series-clinching win
Canucks, Oilers set to clash in all-Canadian Round 2 series