PHILADELPHIA — After turning to him for their first game of the regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins are once again turning to Arturs Silovs to extend their season.
Facing a 3-0 deficit in their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Penguins will install the rookie goaltender in their net for Game 4 of the series at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.
Coach Dan Muse announced Silovs’ status following an optional morning skate. Silovs will replace Stuart Skinner, who started the first three games of the series.
“Both guys have played very well for us all year,” Muse said of Silovs and Skinner. “You go through the entire regular season, both guys have won big games. We have a lot of confidence in both guys. The decision isn’t based on Stu’s play. I thought Stu has played really well this series.
“We’ve lost three games. So, we decided to make some changes there in the lineup.”
Silovs, who guided the Penguins to a 3-0 road shutout win against the New York Rangers to open the season Oct. 7, has plenty of postseason experience. In the 2024 postseason, he took over as the Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender mid-way through a first-round series against the Nashville Predators in which the Canucks won in six games.
Then in the second round, Silovs and the Canucks narrowly lost to Skinner and the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7, 3-2.
More recently, Silovs guided the Abbotsford Canucks to the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup championship last season. In the process, he won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as postseason MVP.
Additionally, he has also skated for Latvia on the international stage.
Muse professed comfort in Silovs through that experience as well as observing him directly since Silovs arrived in a trade with the Canucks on July 10.
“You’ve seen just in his day-to-day (process),” Muse said. “Just his preparation. He’s a competitor, whether it’s in practice or games. You can say that, obviously, with both guys. It’s a good thing. It’s a benefit to us. You’ve got both guys that have been in a lot of big games.
“With (Silovs), just going back, playoffs, Olympics, World Championships, he’s a young guy but he has had a lot of big moments that he’s been in and he’s attacked those big moments.”
Solovyov to make postseason debut
Penguins rookie defenseman Ilya Solovyov is expected to make his postseason debut on Saturday. During a practice session in Voorhees Township, N.J. on Friday, the left-handed Solovyov skated on the right side of the third pairing with left-hander Ryan Shea.
The Penguins acquired Solovyov in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 20.
“My first game here, I played with (Shea),” Solovyov said after Saturday’s optional morning skate. “And we did a really good job. We’ll continue to play this way.”
Shea is confident in the reunion.
“He’s a big, strong dude. He’s really good with gaps. I’ve played the fair share of the right side myself. It’s not the easiest thing in this league. From the games I’ve seen so far this year that I’ve played with him or he’s played with whoever else, he seems pretty comfortable over there. … I know he’s going to be ready.”
Chinakhov likely back with Malkin, Novak
Egor Chinakhov is expected to reunite with Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak on the Penguins’ second line to open Saturday’s game.
That trio was initially formed in mid-January and skated with one another throughout February and into late March. In the 20 games they skated together over that span, Chinakhov produced 14 points (10 goals, four assists).
Injuries and a suspension for Malkin led to that line being broken up in March and Chinakhov even found himself assigned to the left wing of the top line with center Sidney Crosby to close out the regular season. He also opened the postseason in that station.
“I like to play with those guys (Malkin and Novak),” Chinakhov said. “When we played (together), we played pretty good. Just stick to the plan and play the game.”
Through the first three games of the series, Chinakhov has no points.
“It’s pretty hard,” Chinakhov said. “They (the Flyers) play pretty good defensively. We have to find a way to play against those guys.”
Acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 28, Chinakhov had never played in the Stanley Cup playoffs before the current postseason.
“For any young player, you’ve got to live it to really know,” Muse said. “This is his first (Stanley Cup) playoffs. … It’s a different animal here in the NHL playoffs. You’ve got to live it first-hand. I say this for him and anybody else, what we’re looking for is how you continue to evolve your game. We’ve seen some of that.”