Pittsburgh Head Coach Dan Muse Names Arturs Silovs Starting Goalie for Penguins' Return from Olympic Break

The Penguins return from the Olympic break with Arturs Silovs between the pipes. Head coach Dan Muse announced the 24-year-old Latvian netminder will start against the Devils on February 26 as Pittsburgh resumes its playoff push without captain Sidney Crosby.

Silovs and Stuart Skinner have split duties in the Penguins' crease throughout the season. Both goalies performed well during the stretch leading into the Olympic break, leaving Muse with a quality decision heading into the second half.

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The first-year head coach explained his reasoning for selecting Silovs while emphasizing the team's flexible approach to goaltending. "What we've been doing in terms of using both guys, I think it's been working," Muse said. "As I've said since the very beginning, I'm not locked in on one thing."

Muse praised both netminders for their performances before the Milan-Cortina Games paused NHL action. He viewed the post-Olympic restart as an opportunity to establish momentum with one of his proven options. "You go through that entire stretch in between breaks,” Muse said.

He continued, “I thought both guys played at a really high level," he said. "So, you've got to have a starting point coming out of it. That's what we went with." The Penguins acquired Silovs from the Canucks in July for Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

He has rewarded that investment with an 11-7-8 record, a 2.93 goals-against average, and a .894 save percentage across 26 appearances. Silovs made an immediate impression by recording a 25-save shutout in his Penguins debut against the Rangers on opening night.

Silovs also became just the second goaltender in franchise history to post a shutout in his team debut. The Riga native represented Team Latvia at the Milan Olympics before returning to Pittsburgh. His international experience included starting duties against several elite opponents during the tournament.

Pittsburgh enters the Devils matchup holding second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-15-12 record and 70 points. The Penguins trail only the Hurricanes in the divisional standings.

The challenge now becomes maintaining that position without Crosby, who landed on injured reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury during Canada's Olympic quarterfinal against Czechia. Kris Letang returned from a fractured foot in a corresponding roster move.

The Penguins face a demanding schedule with 26 games remaining before the regular season concludes. Silovs and Skinner will need to carry significant workloads as Pittsburgh chases its first playoff berth in three seasons.


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