Silovs sends strong message with calm, controlled game and 30 saves, but the Canucks managed just 15 shots
The danger signs were everywhere Sunday in Salt Lake City.
“When there’s a turnover, they capitalize,” warned the bench boss.
He also stopped Josh Doan on a third-period breakaway with the teams locked in a 1-1 draw before a perfect Dylan Guenther deflection of a power-point feed sealed the deal on a night where Silovs was certainly the story.
He finished with 30 saves and renewed confidence that he can deliver at this level. And he had to as the Canucks were held to just 15 shots, their second lowest total of the season.
“I felt good,” said Silovs. “Guys did a good job in front of me on the penalty kill covering their dangerous guys and boxing out pretty well. We just have to keep going.”
Added Tocchet: “He was really good and I’m proud of him. He had a tough year at the start, and that start was good for him.”
“The frustrating thing is we had 20 shots blocked, and 16 miss the net, and we’re struggling to score goals,” said Tocchet. “You’ve got to move your feet and change angles and hit the net. I’d rather guys take a little off it and hit the net. We’re double-clutching and that’s a lack of confidence.
“And when you don’t score, everything (including taking penalties) is magnified. We have to sort that out.”
Here’s what else we learned as Jake DeBrusk scored for the Canucks while Logan Cooley had the other goal for Utah:
Silvos sharp, steady, solid
Goaltenders like to get an early feel for the puck.
Silovs got all of that and more in the first period as the Canucks once again paraded to the penalty box to zap any momentum. It gave Utah ample opportunity to seize control and force the visitors to chase the game.
Silvos took an early shot off the shoulder before denying Guenther on his second power play opportunity with a burst to the crease. Then came a hotshot from the slot and a power play redirect by Nick Schmaltz that changed directions and forced Silovs to not overreact.
He then took a Lawson Crouse shot to the mask and calmly smothered the rebound. The trio of man-advantage kills put the Canucks’ rate at 13 straight. And if that wasn’t enough, Silovs also thwarted Crouse on a second-period breakaway and then Barrett Hayton on a 2-on-1 short-handed break. Hayton had a hat trick Saturday in a 5-3 loss at Los Angeles.
The first puck to get by Silovs came on the 16th shot. It took a deft deflection by Schwartz of a John Marino point shot in the second period to change directions to the stick side.
Silovs had won seven of his last eight AHL starts with Abbotsford and his numbers there are comforting. A 10-4-0 record with a 2.43 GAA and .906 percentage.
Just like they drew it up
The Canucks’ power play should be better.
There has always been puck movement, but looking for the perfect feed or being hesitant to shoot has cost them goals and games. On Sunday, they realized that positioning is everything. Somebody is open.
That’s when Pettersson spotted DeBrusk at the far post and his perfect feed was jammed home for the big winger’s team-leading 21st goal early in the second period and 15th on the road.
The Canucks also had four shots on a crucial third-period power play and the best chance to snap 1-1 draw was Chytil denied in high slot with wrister.
Mancini makes solid debut
NHL analysts have raved that the 6-foot-3, 229 pound right-shot blueliner is an intriguing prospect because the 2022 fifth-round draft pick by the Rangers has a big upside. He packs size, skates well and plays with some bite.
How that all plays out down the road is up to the 22-year-old Mancini. He may just play out as a third-pairing blueliner like he was Sunday in an alignment with Derek Forbort, or maybe, something more.
When you don’t notice a blueliner, he’s usually doing his job, but when the recalled Mancini rubbed out Alex Kerfoot along the wall in the second period, that checked a Tocchet box. So did his positioning and passing in 13:56 of ice time.
“Big kid, has a bomb of a shot, moves the puck well and skates,” said Tocchet. “We want young guys and we want to give him a chance.”
Manicini, who played five AHL games in Abbotsford, logged 15 games with the Rangers this season on managed five points (1-4). He spent last season completing his NCAA career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In 35 career regular-season AHL games, Mancini has 14 points (4-10) and played in 10 Calder Cup playoff games last spring with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
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