Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs sticks with his 'foundation' in search of better results

It’s not difficult to tell when Arturs Silovs hits the ice at practice.

He’s usually the first one on the ice. And he’s usually the loudest one on the ice.

At least his skates are.

The Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender’s skate blades make a very deep and cutting rumble with just about any maneuver he makes on a rink, especially when he’s the only player on the ice and he’s going through his detailed warmup routine before teammates arrive.

“It’s just how they’re made,” the soft-spoken Silovs said of his gear. “Anyone who skates, especially in (that model), they’re just really loud.”

There’s been a loud reaction to Silovs’ play in recent games. And in no good way.

In the past two contests the rookie has started, he hasn’t made it past the halfway mark.

During a 5-0 home loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 21, Silovs lasted only 21:06 of ice time after he allowed four goals on 10 shots.

Eight days later, Silovs did better, in one respect at least. He managed to stay in the crease three minutes longer (24:37) after once again yielding four goals on 10 shots during a 7-2 defeat at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Silovs saw a common issue in each game.

“I think it was a lot of traffic,” Silovs said. “I felt like it was a little bit harder to find the puck. And when it’s harder to find the puck, the game gets faster. You’re always a little bit behind it. And at this level, you can’t really do that.”

Silovs offered a pretty high level of play in the opening month of the season. In his first six games over October, Silovs posted a 3-1-2 record, a 2.44 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and one shutout (a 3-0 road win against the New York Rangers in the season opener Oct. 7).

Those strong results did hold a candle in the cold November rain.

Throughout the 11th month, Silovs appeared in six games and racked up a 1-3-2 record, a 3.72 goals-against average, along with an. 850 save percentage.

Silovs suggests the two poor outings against the Wild and Maple Leafs sullied an otherwise sturdy November.

“The second month, it was just two (bad) games,” Silovs said. “Other than that, it was pretty good. I don’t think it was a month. It was two games.”

Be it two games, two weeks or two months, the nature of goaltending can be sinuous.

The man in the locker stall across the Penguins’ dressing room from Silovs knows that all too well.

“Obviously, I’ve had some bad moments in my career,” goaltender Tristan Jarry said. “It’s part of goaltending and it’s part of the ups and downs of the NHL. It’s a relentless league. When you’re not feeling at your best or 100%, I think the only way through is just to keep working.”

Jarry worked through malfunctions so severe last season that he wound up being waived and sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on two separate occasions.

Having stabilized his game this season, Jarry is the team’s winning goaltender in 2025-26. In 11 games, he has an 8-2-0 record, a 2.57 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and one shutout.

“You’re on the biggest stage,” Jarry said of the goaltending position. “You’re the one that, if you make a mistake, it ends up in a big moment in the game. If a (forward) or a defenseman makes a mistake, you have the goalie behind them. You’re the last line of defense, so obviously, there is a different mental side of it, just being prepared for that and knowing that’s your job.

“That’s why all goalies take that job. They love being in that moment, they love having that pressure. For (Silovs) and I, it’s a great opportunity for us to step up. It’s fun being a goalie, it’s fun being in those moments and fun being in those opportunities.”

The past two games haven’t been fun for Silovs. But he understands no one performance — good or bad — dictates how the bulk of a season will unfold.

“It’s a long season,” Silovs said. “There’s a lot of things that can impact. It’s a learning process, just being consistent. Especially with a longer season here (in the NHL). Just trying to find that foundation in your game and just stick with it.”

Silovs is sticking with his intricate routine in practices and morning skates. Ideally, for him, better results will follow.

And nothing will be louder than that.

“I just think based on my foundation, based on my strength, just relying on those things,” Silovs said. “When I do that, I’m all over it.”

Notes: Forwards Noel Acciari and Justin Brazeau each skated in a full-contact capacity during a practice session in Cranberry on Wednesday. Both players are designated to injured reserve with undisclosed ailments. Coach Dan Muse indicated each was scheduled to travel with the team on an upcoming two-game road trip but neither is expected to dress for Thursday’s contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning. … Penguins forwards Joona Koppanen (illness) and Anthony Mantha (maintenance) did not practice on Wednesday. Each was also scheduled to travel.