Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet knew he was handing a rookie goalie a tough assignment on Wednesday night.
While 21-year-old netminder Arturs Silovs wasn't able to backstop his side to victory in his NHL debut, Tocchet thought he still performed admirably in the Canucks' 6-4 loss to the New York Rangers.
“You don't wanna throw him to the wolves but I think he battled and our team battled," he said. "That team is built for the Stanley Cup."
Facing a team stacked with top-tier talents like Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin didn't intimidate Silovs.
“I was just playing hockey," he said. "I was just trying to do my best, trying to shut those guys down.”
The six-foot-four, 203-pound goalie from Riga, Latvia made 22 saves for the beleaguered Canucks (21-30-4), who dropped their third game in a row.
Silovs, picked in the sixth round by Vancouver in the 2019 entry draft, was called up from the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks on Tuesday.
He boasts a 21-9-4 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-against average in Abbotsford this season, and believes getting a taste of the NHL will only propel him further.
“I think it’s gonna help me a lot long term because at least I know what it is, you know?" he said. "So I know what I can be better at so I can push myself even more.”
Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad each put up a pair of goals and an assist for the Rangers (32-14-8), who waltzed their way to a sixth straight win.
Chris Kreider and K'Andre Miller also found the back of the net and Igor Shesterkin stopped 25-of-29 shots.
"We keep talking about doing the right things," Zibanejad said. "And we know we can score and just got to make sure we make the right decisions that we don't try to sacrifice the defensive part or put ourselves in a bad spot that way. But I thought we did a good job tonight."
Zibanejad levelled the score 5:51 into opening frame with his team-leading 28th goal of the campaign.
The Swedish centre faked a shot, getting Silovs to move, then blasted a wrister past the rookie netminder to tie the game at 1-1. The tally extended his goal streak to five games.
“I got some pretty good speed coming down and try to freeze him and just try to pump fake and see what he gives me," Zibanejad said. "I've done that a couple of times before so I don't know if he bit on the pump fake and I saw opening between his legs there and tried to put it five-hole and it went in."
The Canucks were well-prepared for the Rangers' offensive onslaught, having dropped a 4-3 decision to the team in New York on Feb. 8.
"They've got some good weapons on the ice, both on their (defence) and forwards," said centre Elias Pettersson, who contributed a pair of assists on Wednesday. "But we know that. I think we’ve just got to just got to be better.”
Andrei Kuzmenko scored and notched an assist for Vancouver, while Curtis Lazar, J.T. Miller and Conor Garland also replied for the home side.
The Canucks' most impressive play of the night came midway through the second period, moments after New York's Niko Mikkola was released from the box after serving a holding penalty.
Kuzmenko used some dazzling stick work to get around Adam Fox, but his ensuing shot pinged off the crossbar. Garland picked up the errant puck and sent a backhanded shot in past Shesterkin at the 9:26 mark.
“It was good moment for me," Kuzmenko said. "I win battle one-on-one with good skills before net. Garland, nice skills. Good goal for Garland.”
The Canucks were 1 for 2 on the power play and the Rangers went 0 for 1.
MAN DOWN
Canucks defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson went down awkwardly after trying to hit Vladimir Tarasenko midway through the first period. He limped off the ice, favouring his left leg and did not return to the game. Lazar also suffered a lower-body injury in the third.
GONE STREAKING
Three Rangers players extended their point streaks in Wednesday's win. Kreider has hit the score sheet in six straight appearances, registering three goals and four assists, while Zibanejad now has seven goals and two assists in five games. Panarin is also on a five-game tear, with six goals and six assists.
UP NEXT
Canucks: wrap a three-game homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Rangers: take on the Oilers in Edmonton on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2023.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
