NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Injuries have forced the Vancouver Canucks to change their goaltender for the third time in the first four games of the playoffs.
Thanks to Casey DeSmith and now Arturs Silovs winning their first postseason games of their careers, the Canucks are making history and are one win away from the next round.
Shilovs made 27 saves. NHL playoff debut Vancouver came back and shocked Nashville on Sunday. 4-3 overtime victory.
Sirofs, a 2019 sixth-round draft pick, said he briefly blacked out at the final horn and didn't know who hugged him first. But with All-Stars Thatcher Demko and DeSmith out with injuries, Sirovs learned he would start Saturday.
“Good. It's my time to shine,” said Shilovs.
The Canucks became the second team in NHL history to have three different goaltenders win each of their first three postseason games. Vancouver also did it in the 2004 Western Quarterfinals with Dan Cloutier in Game 1, Johan Hedberg in Game 3, and Alex Auld in Game 6.
Chicago in the 1972 quarterfinals was the only team in NHL history to win a game with three different goaltenders at any point in the series. Tony Esposito won Game 1, Gary Smith won Game 3, and Jerry Desjardins found the net in Game 4.
Canucks manager Rick Tocchet announced on March 9 that the Canucks had started Demko in their Game 1 victory, the All-Star goaltender's third game back after missing a knee injury. Demko every week with unspecified injuries.
That's when DeSmith started both Games 2 and 3; Friday night, his first postseason win. DeSmith tied the game for a hit in the back of the net on Predators forward Michael McCarron, and McCarron was fined $2,000 by the NHL on Saturday. DeSmith showed up to practice Saturday.
Coach Tocchet said DeSmith has been struggling with an injury. Asked who will start in net for Game 5 on Tuesday night, with Vancouver having a chance to clinch a series win on home ice for the first time since the 2011 Western Conference Finals, Tocchet said Monday he would consider DeSmith's status. I replied that I would evaluate it.
“I think that's the approach because it's the next opponent and we'll see how we figure it out,” Tocchet said.
Shilovs, a native of Riga, Latvia, is 6-2-1 with a regular season average of 2.62 points and a save percentage of .898. He drew on his experience playing for Latvia at the World Championships in this match.
“I think it was a similar atmosphere,” Shilovs said. “They either boo you or they agree with you. It's always great to play.”
Tocchet thought the Shilovs didn't seem nervous before the game, even when the keeper didn't say much.
“I don't think this is too big of a moment for him,” Tocce said. “I like his attitude. I think watching Casey and DeMar is something he's been looking at the last few years for help.”
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AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
