When it rains it pours. After filling in for Thatcher Demko in both Games 2 and 3, Casey DeSmith has now been ruled out with an injury and prospect goaltender Arturs Silovs will be getting the start in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators. Another devastating injury to Vancouver’s goal crease and it could not happen at a worse time. The injury to DeSmith does not seem to be long-term, but it will be enough to hold him out of Sunday’s game. DeSmith may come back as soon as Game 5 on Tuesday night.
But now the Canucks need to shift their focus for Sunday’s game and prepare to play in front of a new and much more inexperienced goaltender. Silovs is a good goaltending prospect and played very well in Abbotsford this season and played valiantly in four games with Vancouver this season. But playing in the playoffs as a rookie goaltender is nearly an impossible task, not everyone can do what Ken Dryden and Matt Murray did in their first playoffs as both goaltenders won the Stanley Cup for their teams with no playoff experience at all. But Silovs does not need to do what those goalies did, he just needs to be steady.
Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub
The worst feeling as a player is not being able to trust your goaltender because you fear that every shot will go in. Vancouver already has a little experience with Silovs in games where he played well as he recorded a 3-0-1 record. If he can come into Game 4 and make key saves for Vancouver, the Canucks should have no problem being competitive and potentially taking a 3-1 series lead.