The Penguins went into training camp hoping Arturs Silovs could give them stability in net. After one exhibition game, that idea already looks shaky.
Pittsburgh dropped a 7-4 decision to the Detroit Red Wings, and Silovs was in goal for a night that went sideways fast. He faced 23 shots, stopped 16 of them, and finished with a .696 save percentage. For a team trying to sort out its crease, those numbers jump off the page for all the wrong reasons.
Silovs had entered camp as a possible answer in goal, especially with the Penguins looking to ease the load on Sergei Murashov. Instead, his performance against Detroit raised even more questions.
The expectation was that the veteran could provide a steady hand early on. That didn’t happen here.
What makes this especially troubling for Pittsburgh is that Silovs is supposed to be the buffer. The team wants Murashov to be brought along slowly in his first full NHL season, and that plan depends on someone else being reliable enough to shoulder the pressure. Right now, Silovs is not looking like that guy.
The concern isn’t just about one rough exhibition. The source of the worry is Silovs’ inconsistency, and that history makes this kind of outing feel more like a warning sign than a one-off blip. If he can’t straighten things out, the Penguins may have to think seriously about other options.
That could mean a demotion if one of the younger goalies behind him starts pushing for a bigger role. Pittsburgh has young and talented goaltenders in its system, so the competition is real. Silovs isn’t only fighting to keep a starting job; he may also be fighting to keep his roster spot.
There’s also the possibility that the Penguins could be forced into trade activity before the season if this doesn’t improve. For now, Silovs’ game against Detroit won’t define his camp, but it has put the spotlight squarely on a position the team wanted to feel much safer about. If the struggles continue, the pressure in Pittsburgh’s crease is only going to get louder.
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