Canucks Arturs Silovs Has History Of Big Game Performances
Artūrs Šilovs was named MVP of the 2023 World Championships.
Photo by Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports - Canucks Arturs Silovs Has History Of Big Game PerformancesWith news that Casey DeSmith may be dealing with an injury, it looks like the Vancouver Canucks will turn to Artūrs Šilovs in Game 4. While the 23-year-old has only played nine games at the NHL level, he has a history of stepping up for Latvia at the International level. Here are some of his standout performances from the past and why he should be able to handle the pressure.
Šilovs first strong performance for Latvia was at the 2019 U18 World Hockey Championship. In five games, he stopped 167 of 182 shots he faced, with his crowing moment coming in a 24-save shutout against Slovakia. The one win was crucial as it was Latvia's only win of the tournament and kept them from being relegated.
Fast forward to 2022, when Šilovs made his World Championship debut with Latvia. In four games, he went 2-2 with a 1.22 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage. That year, his standout performance was in the preliminary round, where he stopped 34 of 35 shots in a 1-0 loss to Sweden.
That takes us to last year when Šilovs became a national hero in Latvia. Šilovs put on the performance of a lifetime as he led Latvia to their first-ever medal at the World Championship. Posting a record of 7-3 with a 2.20 goal against average and a .921 save percentage, Šilovs was named tournament MVP, becoming the first Latvian to be a Directorate Award winner or named to the Media All-Star team. His shining moment of this tournament was easily his 26-save overtime win against the United States, where he outdueled DeSmith and, as mentioned, captured the country's first medal at the tournament.
While jumping into an NHL Playoffs series midway through is a different situation, Šilovs has shown he can deliver standout performances under pressure. Šilovs has also had some success through his first handful of games at the NHL level, which should provide some confidence heading into Game 4. The hope now is that Šilovs can generate a strong performance in a hostile building as the Canucks look to head back to Vancouver with a 3-1 series lead.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
