Arturs Silovs pulled as Penguins shut out by Wild

The Pittsburgh Penguins went four days between games following a taxing trek to Sweden to spread the gospel of the NHL in Europe.

On Friday, they looked as though they might have needed a fifth day — or five weeks — to get past lingering jet lag.

In fact, one might have suspected they missed their flight and rowed their way back from Scandinavia based on how ramshackle they appeared Friday.

Hosting the Minnesota Wild at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins were romped 5-0 in perhaps their most squalid performance of 2025-26.

The Wild — who entered the contest on a 7-1-1 surge — needed only 10 shots to score the game’s first four goals.

Rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs opened the contest for the Penguins but lasted only 21 minutes, 6 seconds of ice time after he was torched for that initial quartet of scores. His record fell to 4-3-4 after he unofficially made six saves.

He was replaced by another rookie, Sergei Murashov, who stopped 10 of 11 shots. It marked the first time this season the Penguins have changed goaltenders during a game. They were also on the wrong end of a shutout for the first time this campaign.

The Penguins — who split a pair of games against the Nashville Predators in Stockholm — lost for the sixth time in their past eight games (2-4-2).

Wild forward Matt Boldy’s 12th goal of the season opened the scoring 3:57 into regulation.

Claiming a puck off the right corner boards of the offensive zone, Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek dealt a pass to the top of the right circle for Wild defenseman Brock Faber, who whipped a wrister on net. Silovs made the initial save but surrendered a rebound to the left of the crease, where Boldy claimed it. Going forehand to backhand, Boldy got Silovs to slide out of position and pushed the puck past his left skate and into the cage.

The visitors went up by a pair when Eriksson Ek scored his fourth goal during a power-play sequence at 9:39 of the first period.

Off some puck movement around the perimeter of the Penguins’ zone, Wild defenseman Zeev Buium took a pass near the left point, maneuvered toward the high slot and snapped a wrister toward the cage. Outmuscling Penguins forward Joona Koppanen for position just inside the left hashmarks, Eriksson Ek deflected the puck downward through Silovs’ five hole.

Wild forward Marcus Johansson’s eighth goal put the Wild up by a field goal (on only seven shots) at 11:42 of the opening frame.

Taking a pass at the left point of the offensive zone, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin slid a pass to the top of the right circle, where a mostly unguarded Johansson swatted a one-timer by Silovs’ glove on the near side.

Silovs was pulled after giving up Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov’s 12th goal only 69 seconds into the second period.

Corralling a rebound behind the Penguins’ net, Wild forward Mats Zuccarello fed a pass to the high slot for Wild defenseman Jake Middleton. Sashaying his way to the top of the right circle, Middleton snapped a wrister that Kaprizov deflected from the slot by Silov’s blocker.

The Wild did not relent as Boldy struck again at 17:46 of the middle frame.

Following a defensive-zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea, Kaprizov chased down the loose puck on the left half wall and chopped a one-timer at the cage. Boldy beat Shea to the left of the cage and deflected the puck by Murashov’s glove.

Former Penguins goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson earned his second shutout this season after stopping 19 shots. His mark improved to 6-7-2.