Arthur Shilov | Photo: Vancouver Canucks
Former hockey player and analyst for North American media TSN Frank Corrado https://twitter.com/sekeresandprice/status/1785900776482574754 about the goalkeeper of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL), Artūras Shilovs, stating that the Latvian should also guard the team’s goal in the next “play-off” game.
It should be reminded that the Canucks’ goal was guarded by Shilov in the previous two games of the Stanley Cup. The Latvian was initially called up to Vancouver as an emergency backup goalkeeper, but the opportunity was given due to injuries to the main goalkeeper Thatcher Demko and his backup Casey Desmith. In Shilova’s play-off debut, the Canucks won, but failed in the previous match.
If Demko has suffered a serious injury, then Desmits could return to the field in the near future – even in the next game – which would force the “Canucks” coaches to make a choice between Shilov and Desmits. Former player Corado, who represented Riga “Dinamo” in the last season of his career (2021/2022), would like Šilov to guard the Canucks’ goal in the sixth game of the series as well.
“I would give this young guy a chance again [Šilovam]. If we talk about the stories in the previous game, then [“Predators” vārtsargs Jūse] Saros was like that, but I think Shilov was an even bigger story and how well he played, especially early in the match. Nashville created a lot of chances around the goal and in front of the goal – I know it’s difficult for defenders to deal with, but it’s not easy for goaltenders either. They have to move their head all the time, look a lot. Shilov handled it very well.”
“Also, I think that this moment is not too difficult for him as a young goalkeeper. I like how the team looks with him in goal. I’m not saying that it’s not like that when Casey Desmits is on the field, or Thatchers Demko, who is in a completely different “league”, but we saw earlier at the world championship, when Latvia won the bronze, that he likes the responsible moments. It doesn’t feel like the team is missing anything when he’s in goal. I really like his game,” said Corrado.
