Artūrs Šilovs stopped 20 of 25 shots to help the Pitsburgas “Penguins” secure a 6-5 overtime victory against the Monreālas “Canadiens”, anchoring a night of National Hockey League action that also featured appearances by fellow Latvian skaters Zemgus Girgensons and Teodors Bļugers.
Penguins Outlast Canadiens in Overtime After Squandering Five-Goal Lead
The Penguins built a commanding 5-1 advantage through two periods before holding off a furious third-period rally by Montréal. Cole Caufield opened the scoring for the visitors less than four minutes into the contest, but Evgeni Malkin answered for Pittsburgh with a power-play goal in the opening frame. In the second period, the Penguins surged ahead with four unanswered goals from Declan Carlisle, Samuel Girard, Tommy Novak, and Ben Kindel. Nick Suzuki trimmed the deficit before the intermission, setting up a frantic final period.
In the third, Caufield notched his second of the night, Chris Kreider scored, and Ivan Demidov tied the game 5-5 with under a minute remaining in regulation. Just 90 seconds into the extra session, Novak netted the game-winner to salvage two points for Pittsburgh. Speaking after the game, Šilovs pointed to the opponent’s high skill level. Grūti aizsargāties pret šo komandu, viņi ir ļoti meistarīgi,
Šilovs said in comments reported by Sportacentrs.com, adding that despite the blown lead, the team was glad to recover in overtime. The victory leaves the Penguins atop the Eastern Conference with four points from two games, while the Canadiens sit fourth with three points.
Lightning Defeat Capitals Behind Girgensons and Balanced Attack
In Tampa Bay, Zemgus Girgensons and the Lightning earned a 3-1 home victory over the Washington Capitals. Girgensons logged 14 minutes and 27 seconds of ice time, recording a two-minute minor penalty, one shot on goal, four hits, three blocked shots, and 10 wins on 15 faceoffs to finish with an even plus-minus rating. Charles-Eduard D’Astus and Conor Geekie staked the hosts to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Justin Sourdif pulled one back for Washington in the second before Jake Guentzel sealed the result with an empty-net goal late in the third period. The win puts Tampa Bay 12th in the Eastern Conference with two points from two games, one spot behind the ninth-place Capitals.
Maple Leafs Fall to Senators as Injury Sidelines Merzļikins
Teodors Bļugers and the Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a 3-2 decision at home against the Ottawa Senators. Bļugers skated for 10 minutes and 24 seconds, winning three faceoffs and finishing with a neutral rating. Thomas Chabot opened the scoring for Ottawa in the first period before Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko put Toronto ahead in the second. Michael Amadio tied it for the Senators before midway through the third, and Stephen scored the game-winner mid-period. The Maple Leafs played without Latvian goaltender Elvis Merzļikins, who joined the club in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets a day before the season opener but remains sidelined for several months following shoulder surgery. Toronto ranks 14th in the conference with two points from three games, while Ottawa stands seventh.
NHL Highlights Showcase Šilovs and League-Wide Drama
Beyond the box score, Šilovs drew widespread attention across the league during the opening week. TV3.lv reported that a video clip capturing Šilovs’ startled facial expression after catching a Canadiens shot was featured prominently in the NHL’s “Weird NHL” highlight reel. That same stop against Demidov earned the Latvian netminder a spot among the league’s top 10 saves of the week. The review also highlighted Igor Shesterkin’s historic goal for the New York Rangers and a bizarre three-on-one missed opportunity by Toronto in overtime.
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