Canucks vs. Oilers: Like Rocky Balboa, Arturs Silovs wants to survive

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Arturs Silovs looks like a spent boxer between rounds of a title bout.

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He slumps in his stall between periods with an ice bag on top of his head. He doesn’t talk. He just has the look of knowing what he has to do when the mayhem resumes.

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Silov, 23, is a modern-day Rocky Balboa who just wants to go the distance. The rookie Vancouver Canucks goaltender has also turned playoff savior and cult figure for legions of adoring fans. They don’t shout “Rocky, Rocky”. It’s “Arty, Arty”.

“I don’t think he thinks — he just does what he’s told,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday. “He’s just a guy who comes to the rink every day and does this thing.”

That thing was out-dueling veteran stopper Juuse Saros with three solid showings against the Nashville Predators in the opening round of the NHL playoffs, including a shutout in the Game 6 clincher.

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If that was the undercard, then facing rejuvenated Edmonton Oilers starter Stuart Skinner, 25, is the main event on Wednesday. After all, the Canadian crown is on the line to represent the country in the Western Conference final. Who will land the first blow?

Tocchet remained coy about naming his starter Tuesday.

Casey DeSmith is available and backstopped a 3-1 win in Edmonton on April 13. But how can you not ride a rookie playing like a wily veteran. Silov is 2-1-0 in the postseason with a 1.70 goals-against average and .938 save percentage.

He might also lead with a remarkable calm and cool disposition.

“When backing up or playing, I didn’t see much of a difference,” added Tocchet. “Usually, a guy gets more intense. He’s the same guy. I like guys who don’t change, whether they’re playing or not.”

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Which gets us back to that ice pack. What gives?

“It’s always been there, just to cool myself down,” shrugged Silov. “It was a huge relief after winning Game 6. Everything has come together. I just have to keep with things in my game, and that (cheering) is like outside noise.

“It’s nice to have it, but you just have to be so focused on doing your job.”

Silovs got to this pace because he was in the right place as a recall from the AHL affiliate in Abbotsford when opportunity came knocking.

Thatcher Demko’s knee injury and DeSmith’s minor lower-body ailment suffered in Game 3 gave the lanky 6-foot-4 Silovs the net. Backstopping his native Latvia to world championship bronze last May was the foundation.

Silov was named event MVP and it sent his stock soaring. He went 7-2-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .930 save percentage on the world stage to put his career on the fast track.

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“Especially with playing at home,” recalled the Riga, Latvia native. “There was more pressure. People are hungry for hockey there and we don’t have a major team that’s playing a full season. I felt it was a chance to show the people and give something back.”

It’s why he’s more than up for the next big test and why his teammates have his back.

Veteran Canucks defenseman Ian Cole won consecutive Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 and has played for eight teams in the postseason. He has seen a lot but nothing quite like Silovs.

“I can’t comment about the ice pack, but the confidence he brings and his demeanor is great,” said Cole. “Guys can feed off it. He has it in spades and it’s something we celebrate.”

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It makes for an intriguing goalie matchup because Skinner has also gathered his game both on and off the ice.

Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen were the constant tandem for three seasons before Skinner logged 50 games last season, compared to 36 for Jack Campbell, to signal the turning of the guard.

Skinner got off to a rough playoff start, but gathered himself to give the Oilers what they so desperately need — a solid and dependable stopper — to take pressure off their stars.

Skinner is 4-1-0 in the postseason with a 2.59 GAA, .910 save percentage and a shutout. After allowing nine goals in the first two series games again the Kings, he shut the door. He stopped 82 of 86 shots in the final three games.

The Edmonton native also laid back and grew the mental side of the demanding position by working with a sports psychologist last summer. The objective was to get over bad goals and bad games. Having a short-term memory can go a long way for any stopper.

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“I was trying to learn as much as I could coming into this year,” Skinner told Postmedia. “I saw how Smitty and Mikko were every single day, how they recovered, the day to day of playoff life. I think that’s helped me going into this one.”

It hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“He’s taken steps, he’s way calmer,” said Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm. “And positionally he’s very sound. You have to really make a great play to beat him which is a great feeling for us knowing that he’s the backbone of our team.”
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