Silovs likely for another chance to save Penguins in Game 5 of East 1st Round

PHILADELPHIA -- Arturs Silovs already helped save the Pittsburgh Penguins' season once.

The rookie goalie likely earned a chance to do it again against the Philadelphia Flyers for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Monday (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, NBCSP, ESPN, SN, TVAS).

With the Penguins facing elimination in Game 4 in Philadelphia on Saturday, Silovs got the call to make his first start in two weeks and made 28 saves in a 4-2 victory. The Penguins still trail 3-1 in the best-of-7 series, but feel like they've started to build some momentum, thanks in part to Silovs staying ready to play after veteran Stuart Skinner started the first three games.

"It wasn't a surprise," Penguins coach Dan Muse said Sunday of Silovs' performance. "You just saw the way he kind of came into those practices and the way that he prepared, and it's what we've seen from him all year."

Silovs became the second goalie to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut for the Penguins in an elimination game and win, joining Frank Pietrangelo in Game 6 of the 1991 Patrick Division Semifinals against the New Jersey Devils. Even if the circumstances weren't ideal, the 25-year-old was glad to get the chance to help his team.

"It's an exciting opportunity," Silovs said. "I think playing like playoffs is the most fun you can ever have, and we've been waiting for a whole season to get to this point. I think just enjoying every minute of it."

Although Silovs is designated as a rookie because he'd played only 19 regular-season games in the League before this season, he'd been thrown into the cauldron of the NHL playoffs before with the Vancouver Canucks in 2024. With Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith sidelined because of injuries, Silovs made 27 saves in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of the first round.

DeSmith eventually was healthy enough to play, but Silovs made 10 consecutive starts for the remainder of the playoffs. He went 5-5 with a 2.91 goals-against average, .898 save percentage and one shutout to help Vancouver come within one win of reaching the Western Conference Final before losing 3-2 to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the second round.

"He wasn't even going to play, and then Demko got hurt, and then he was thrust in," said Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, who was coaching the Canucks at the time. "… We ran with him, so he's capable. He's a good goaltender, so we're going to have our hands full with him again."

Silovs has been waiting for another chance at NHL playoffs since then. Last season, he helped Abbottsford win the Calder Cup by going 16-7 with a 2.01 GAA, .931 save percentage and five shutouts and was voted most valuable player of the American Hockey League playoffs.

He got his first chance to play regularly in the NHL this season after the Penguins acquired him in a trade with the Canucks on July 13, 2025, for forward Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. In 39 regular-season games (38 starts), the native of Riga, Latvia, was 19-12-8 with a 3.07 GAA, .888 save percentage and two shutouts.

The Penguins opted to go with Skinner when the playoffs began, though. Skinner, who was acquired in the trade that sent goalie Tristan Jarry to the Oilers on Dec 12, was 12-9-5 with a 2.99 GAA and .885 save percentage in 27 regular-season starts for Pittsburgh. And the 27-year-old had the advantage in postseason experience after helping Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two seasons.

After Skinner went 0-3 with a 3.08 GAA and .873 save percentage in the first three games, the Penguins turned to Silovs in Game 4 looking for a spark and he delivered.

"I think I've gained a lot of trust in both of these guys and with 'Arty' it goes back right to the start of the season," Muse said. "He was in there for our first game of the year and I think he's continued to build his game along the way. He's had a lot of big games, too, for us over the course of the year, and he's really thrived in those moments."

Although Silovs hadn't started since a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on April 11 (he made a relief appearance in Pittsburgh's regular-season finale against the St. Louis Blues on April 14), he played with confidence from the drop of the puck Saturday. Some of his best work came in the second period, when he stopped nine of the Flyers' 10 shots on goal, including a left pad save on Tyson Foerster on a short-handed break at 14:05.

"It was awesome," Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon said. "He did such a good job: huge saves, breakaway saves, all around unreal. But for him to stay confident coming into those situations, especially when you haven't played the first three (games) or even longer -- it's been a week or two -- it's a testament to his character."

The Penguins, who do not name their starting goalie until game day, will probably need more of the same from Silovs to further extend the series with another win in Game 5. They're trying to become the second team in NHL history to come back from down 3-0 in a best-of-7 series after starting at home following the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who rallied to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final.

There is no room for error, but Silovs is embracing the situation.

"Just the atmosphere to play, it's meaningful hockey," he said. "Everyone does their hardest and you know you're playing for something and there's an ultimate goal to do something, so it's fun to play, to be part of it."