Is resilient rookie Silovs in the heads of the Oilers?
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers Round 2, Game 4 Canucks lead series 2-1 When: Tonight, 6:30 p.m. Where: Rogers Place
TV: SN Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
The buzz: Arturs Silovs is the smiling assassin. He kills you without a sound, a structured game and that confident grin.
The rookie netminder has taken a boyish exuberance into a big man's game and hasn't only delivered in his first NHL post-season, it's also hard to imagine that he hasn't got into the heads of the Oilers.
“Players don't think like that,” former Edmonton head coach Ken Hitchcock told Postmedia on Monday. “When a goalie is hot, you talk less about him and find a way to outwork him.”
The Oilers hit four posts and fired 45 shots at the Canucks' superlative stopper on Sunday, but a 4-3 loss left a sour taste.
This is how star winger Leon Draisaitl summed up the Silovs show in Game 3: “Post is not good goaltending.”
The Oilers did clang iron on four occasions Sunday, but goaltenders know that sweet sound is an indication of actually being in position and taking away angles and options. And it's the saves that Silovs did make to provide a 2-1 series lead that are making a difference in the gritty series.
Still, you know there's going to be a giant pushback from Connor McDavid and Draisaitl tonight. They know dialing up constant pressure could even the series. Silovs can't wait.
“I'm not nervous. I have full confidence,” said the lanky Latvian. “I'm just basically playing my game and trusting my system. It's nice to play in a hostile place and winning so many road games. It's fun to win these kind of games.”
Let's put it this way. The Canucks have their answer in goal. The Oilers have a problem.
Silovs, 23, has made six consecutive post-season starts as a third-string netminder and his 2.65 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and a shutout are screaming hello NHL, bye-bye AHL.
Meanwhile, Oilers starter Stuart Skinner was pulled Sunday after allowing four goals on 15 shots. His bloated playoff numbers (3.22 GAA, .877 save percentage) scream struggle. But the Oilers have to go back to him in Game 4. He got them this far.
As for the Canucks, there's no debate. Thatcher Demko is getting closer to returning from a knee injury and healthy veteran backup Casey DeSmith is an option, but the choice is clear.
"Arty is playing like it's his net right now,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Sunday.
The captain: Quinn Hughes is battling through layers of extra attention and it's hampering zone exits and triggering the transition. He had two secondary assists Sunday, but there's potential for the Norris Trophy favourite to make a bigger impact.
Hughes has always been able to pivot and wheel away from a forechecker. But when it's two on the hunt, he's going to get pinned. A prudent play would be the give-and-go.
Make an exit pass, beat the forecheck and take the puck at speed to make things happen through the neutral zone and with O -zone entries.
The hope: A power play that's five for 22 in the post-season showed signs of life by striking twice in Game 3. There were better rotations, smarter decisions and bigger efforts. Elias Lindholm struck twice by going to the dirty areas for a deflection and pouncing on a rebound.
The fear: The Canucks can't parade to the penalty box. The Oilers' top-ranked power play is lethal at 13-for-48 effectiveness in the post-season.
The wounded: Canucks: Demko (week to week, knee). Oilers: Adam Henrique (ankle, day to day).
The quote: “We just grinded it out. They threw a lot at us and made a push. We did a nice job.” — Tocchet on Sunday's win backstopped by a 42-save performance by Silovs
The lineup:
Suter-Miller-Boeser Mikheyev-Pettersson-Karlsson Joshua-Lindholm- Garland Aman-Blueger-Lafferty Hughes-Hronek Myers-Cole Zadorov-Juulsen
Silovs
Carson Soucy was given a onegame suspension Monday for a late-game cross-check on McDavid on Sunday.
The prediction: Pressure on the Oilers to avoid going down 3-1. Silovs does his thing and power play strikes in 4-3 win.
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