Arturs Silovs stopped every one of the 25 shots he faced to secure a 4-0 shutout for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. The victory came as Cooper Black, standing 6-foot-9 and the tallest goalie in NHL history, made his regular-season debut but could not prevent the Panthers from dropping their second consecutive game.
Black, a 25-year-old from Michigan, made 18 saves but was outmatched as the Penguins turned the game into a rout. The towering goaltender had been called up from Florida’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte after Jacob Markstrom suffered a shoulder injury. Despite an encouraging start, Black and the Panthers struggled to find their footing following an emotionally draining loss in Ottawa the previous night.
Nick Robertson scored twice for Pittsburgh, while Hendrix Lapierre and Evgeni Malkin each contributed a goal and an assist. Malkin’s goal marked his third in four games, underscoring a return to form for the veteran forward. The Penguins had arrived home after a taxing Western Conference road trip that included heavy defeats in Chicago, Colorado, Vegas, and Utah. They also faced a scare when 19-year-old forward Ben Kindel collapsed during the flight back to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Kindel spent the night in a Salt Lake City hospital and was placed on injured reserve, but the team said he might return to practice as early as next week.
Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse reshuffled his lines in search of energy and found success against Florida’s defence. Lapierre extended the Penguins’ lead at the midpoint of the game after a smooth rush assisted by Ville Koivunen. From there, Silovs was only sporadically tested, firmly controlling the crease and earning his second shutout of the season and the fourth of his NHL career.
The Panthers will continue their four-game road trip on Sunday in Chicago. The Penguins, meanwhile, prepare to host Nashville on Saturday.
According to Yahoo Sports.
