Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs had some ups and downs in his first season with the Penguins last year.
When he was on, he was really on, but when he was off, he was really off. It all culminated in him finishing the regular season with a 19-12-8 record, a 3.07 goals-against average, and an .888 save percentage.
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Silovs backed up Stuart Skinner for the first three games of the Penguins’ first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers before he was thrust into the lineup in Game 4. The Penguins were down 3-0 in the series and needed a spark, so they went to Silovs.
Silovs has a history of showing up in the big moments, and he sure did in the series. Yes, the Penguins lost the series in six games, but he still played out of his mind, finishing with a .939 save percentage and a 1.52 goals-against average.
He would’ve had a shutout in Game 6 if the Penguins had found a way to put one shot past Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar.
Despite the playoff series loss, the Penguins rewarded Silovs with a one-year extension after the season. They want to see what he can do as the 1A goaltender this year before they commit to him for multiple years.
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He’ll also potentially be pushed by Sergei Murashov after the latter lit up the AHL this past season. Murashov is the favorite to win the backup/1B job, though he will still have to earn it. Joel Blomqvist won’t just give him the job during training camp and preseason.
Going back to Silovs, he played in 39 games last year, so if this is going to be a true 1A/1B situation, he’s likely going to have to play in at least 42 games since it’s now an 84-game season. If he gets to that number, he’d set a career-high in appearances
If Silovs can finish the 2026-27 season with a save percentage around .905, a goals-against average between 2.50 and 2.70, and be positive in goals saved above expected, it’ll be a pretty solid success. The Penguins would also have a decent chance at qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs again if Silovs plays that well.
Let’s see if he can do it.
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