“He’s struggling”: Canucks’ Silovs has the NHL’s 2nd-worst save percentage

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So much for the Vancouver Canucks riding their goaltending momentum from last spring.

With Thatcher Demko out due to injury, Arturs Silovs was the Canucks starter on opening night.

It was a golden opportunity for the youngster. Unfortunately, everything that’s transpired since opening night has been a nightmare.

The 23-year-old has a 1-4-1 record through six starts this season, with his only win coming against the lowly Chicago Blackhawks.

Against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, Silovs allowed five goals on 23 shots. He allowed four goals on his first 10 shots and the Canucks trailed 4-1 after the first period.

“Yeah, he’s struggling,” Rick Tocchet told reporters postgame.

“He’s gotta get bigger in the net and battle. It’s the NHL. He’s gotta work tomorrow and find his game.”

So far this season, Silovs has a ghastly .847 save percentage. That’s the second-worst mark in the NHL among goalies who have played at least five games.

Silovs Canucks Save Percentage November 2024

NHL.com

His reads are off right now, and that was evident throughout the contest against Pittsburgh.

On the Penguins first goal of the game, Silovs was caught overcommitting way too far on his blocker side. That gave the Penguins an easy goal as the puck careened to the other side of his net and right onto the stick of Blake Lizotte.

At other moments of the game, the 6-foot-4 Silovs was caught looking small in his net.

“It’s the goalmouth stuff that seems to be going in all year,” Tocchet said when asked about Silovs’ struggles. “I think he just has to get a little bit bigger in the net.”

“When you don’t have confidence, you sink in your net. It’s like everybody. When you’re struggling, you gotta battle through it.”

Tocchet was later asked if the poor start from Silovs would result in more starts for Kevin Lankinen, who just blanked the Boston Bruins.

“We can’t run Lanks too much,” Tocchet concluded. “We did it earlier on and we gotta be careful with that.”

Lankinen is 10-3-2 with a .909 save percentage and two shutouts so far this season.

There’s an outside chance that this is the last we’ve seen from Silovs in the NHL for some time.

Thatcher Demko could be back in the next week. While there was some talk earlier this season that the Canucks could carry three goalies on their roster, that notion is all but dead based on Silovs’ play. It’s pretty clear that he could use some more time in the AHL to hone his game.

The Canucks have Silovs under contract for one more year after this season with a cap hit of $850,000.

Slow starts sinking Canucks

Last season, the Canucks led the entire NHL with 96 first period goals, and a +38 goal differential in the opening frame.

It’s been a completely different story so far this season.

The Canucks have a -6 goal differential in the first period. That’s currently the sixth-worst mark in the NHL. The 28 first period goals they’ve given up is fourth-worst.

While Silovs didn’t play great against Pittsburgh, it was yet another contest where the Canucks looked sleepy coming out of the gates.

“We gifted them goals,” Tocchet said. “It seemed like everything they shot went in.”

“We can’t come out with an effort like that to start and expect to win the game” Elias Pettersson said postgame. “We gotta be better, and especially start on time. We didn’t give Arty any help.”

Canucks’ Hughes scores unreal goal

Is there anything Quinn Hughes can’t do?

In typical Hughes fashion, the Canucks dominated when their captain was on the ice against the Pens. He led all Canucks with a 68.4% shot attempt differential. Hughes was also on the ice for all four of the Canucks goals.

One of those goals he scored himself, and it was a beauty.

“That was all Quinn,” Pettersson said after the game.

It sure was.

Hughes might be four assists away from setting the Canucks all-time record by a defenceman, but he reminded us on Wednesday night just how well-rounded he is in terms of his defensive awareness and jaw-dropping offensive instincts as well.

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