Arturs Silovs will get the opportunity to clinch a series win for the Vancouver Canucks.
The rookie is in net for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. Silovs was Vancouver's surprise starter in Game 4 on Sunday in the wake of injuries to Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith.
Both Silovs and DeSmith got the standard "starter's chat" from goaltending coach Ian Clark at Tuesday's morning skate, according to The Athletic's Thomas Drance. After practice, Silovs left the ice first - a ritual usually carried out by the starting netminder - but head coach Rick Tocchet later said it would be a game-time decision.
Silovs made 27 saves en route to the Canucks' 4-3 victory in Game 4, which Vancouver forward Elias Lindholm ended in overtime to give his team a 3-1 series lead. It was Silovs' playoff debut.
The 23-year-old Latvian played only nine regular-season NHL games over the last two campaigns, which he spent primarily with the Canucks' AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.
DeSmith allowed three goals on 15 shots during a 4-1 loss in Game 2, then bounced back with a 29-save performance in a 2-1 victory in Game 3.
The Nashville Predators face the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight for Game 5 of their first-round series. Here are the projected/expected lineups, sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents,…
The Nashville Predators face the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight for Game 5 of their first-round series. Here are the projected/expected lineups, sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents,…
Alex Ovechkin got 31 goals closer to Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record this season but is remaining levelheaded in his pursuit of 42 more tallies.
"I'm always saying the same thing: If I make it, it's good, but it's still 42 goals," Ovechkin said Tuesday, per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "It's kind of a long way, but it's possible if you're going to be healthy."
Ovechkin endured an up-and-down season, scoring only eight goals in his first 43 games before helping the Washington Capitals reach the playoffs with 23 tallies in his final 36 contests. He set an NHL record with his 18th 30-goal campaign but failed to reach 40 over a full schedule for the first time since 2016-17.
Only two other Washington players reached the 20-goal mark this season, one of whom, Anthony Mantha, was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights before the deadline.
"There's a lot of pressure on (Ovechkin)," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "That he's expected to carry us offensively at 38 is probably not fair."
He added: "I think we need to add something in that area. We need to get a little more skill, a little more goals."
Ovechkin has scored 853 career goals. He has two more seasons on his current contract to surpass Gretzky's record of 894 goals.
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