The Vancouver Canucks find themselves in a goaltending pickle as they gear up for Game 4 of their opening-round Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Nashville Predators. With injuries sidelining their top two netminders, head coach Rick Tocchet wouldn’t confirm Casey DeSmith in goal for the team on Sunday night. Instead, reports are that third-string goaltender, Arturs Silovs will get the start.
Following Friday’s narrow 2-1 victory in Game 3, speculation on Sunday is about who will be in the net for Vancouver. DeSmith, who performed admirably in the previous game by turning away 29 of 30 shots, would have been the go-to guy. However, concerns linger after a collision with Predators forward Michael McCarron left DeSmith shaken and bruised.
Reports from insiders such as Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK 6 TV and Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night In Canada hint at a goalie-related change to the lineup. Tocchet remained tight-lipped about what to expect but several insiders believe it will be Silovs in goal.
Are the Canucks Capable of Winning With Silovs?
With DeSmith nursing injuries and Thatcher Demko also unavailable, the Canucks are left with their third-string netminder. While relatively inexperienced at the NHL level, Silovs brings a history of stepping up in crucial moments, as evidenced by his MVP performance at the 2023 IIHF World Championships, where he backstopped Latvia to a historic bronze medal. The question is, will it be enough?
As Vancouver prepares to face Nashville with their third different starting goalie in just four games, all eyes are on Silovs to deliver a standout performance in the hopes the Predators don’t even the series.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports, “Sounds relatively minor for DeSmith, but enough to keep him out for Game 4. Expect Nikita Tolopilo to backup Silovs this afternoon.” He adds, “DeSmith is a possibility for Game 5 in Van on Tuesday night. Injury occurred late in Game 3 but is unrelated to McCarron hit.”
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