Silovs Faces Young Challengers for Penguins Goaltending Work
The 25-year-old returns from a late-season knee issue as Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist press their cases at Pittsburgh camp.
Arturs Silovs enters Penguins training camp as the oldest of three goaltenders competing for work in Pittsburgh. Silovs is 25; Sergei Murashov is 22 and Joel Blomqvist is 24. The club has not set its opening-night roles.
Silovs played a career-high 39 NHL games last season, splitting time first with Tristan Jarry and later with Stuart Skinner. Pittsburgh fell behind Philadelphia 3-0 in its playoff series before losing in six games. General manager Kyle Dubas praised Silovs' goaltending under pressure in a team interview.
A knee issue late in the season changed Silovs' offseason training. He returned from Latvia to Pittsburgh in mid-August and said he was fully ready by the end of that month.
Murashov started all 15 of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Calder Cup playoff games, posting a 2.11 goals-against average and .931 save percentage as the AHL team reached the Eastern Conference Final. Blomqvist, who spent last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after an early injury, signed a two-year Penguins contract this summer and worked on hip strength ahead of camp.
Dubas has stressed that Blomqvist remains in the competition. The two younger goalies are pushing for NHL opportunities, while Silovs aims to build on his first full season with Pittsburgh.
