Penguins Reveal Starting Goaltender for Tonight's Game vs. Kings
Photo credit: Edit from Pittsburgh Hockey Now
The Penguins have decided to go with Arturs Silovs in tonight's game vs. the Flyers, and Dan Muse has also changed his mind and inserted Harrison Brunicke.
Arturs Silovs was the first goalie off the ice in the pregame skate and will start for the Penguins in Los Angeles on Thursday, reports NHL and Penguins insider Josh Yohe.
Silovs dazzled on Opening Night, shutting out the Rangers 3-0 on 25 saves. He wasn't quite as impressive in the home rematch, though, allowing six goals on 30 shots.
He'll try to rebound against the Kings, who rank 23rd in the NHL in averaging 2.75 goals per game.
Dan Muse Changed His Mind Regarding Healthy Scratching Harrison Brunicke
Head coach Dan Muse also made a last-minute lineup change, going against a preliminary decision and re-inserting rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke back into the lineup.
Muse had originally intended to healthy scratch both Brunicke and rookie forward Ben Kindel as part of a long-term developmental plan aimed at allowing both young players to build strength and confidence.
"With Brunicke, and the same thing could be said for [Ben] Kindel, these are young players. We're looking at what's best for them now, but also for them to continue to grow over the course of the season," the rookie head coach said. "So there will be times throughout the start of the year where they're coming out of the lineup.
"This is all part of the plan for them. Kyle [Dubas] along with [director of performance] Rich Rotenberg, they have experience with this coming from Toronto. There's been a lot of discussions with them and with the rest of the staff in terms of what's going to be best for these younger players, guys in their teens coming into this league."
"It's something I strongly agree with," Muse added. "I've learned some lessons myself, just with my time working with young players. There is a reasoning behind this."
"This is all part of the plan for them. Kyle [Dubas] along with [director of performance] Rich Rotenberg, they have experience with this coming from Toronto. There's been a lot of discussions with them and with the rest of the staff in terms of what's going to be best for these younger players, guys in their teens coming into this league."
"It's something I strongly agree with," Muse added. "I've learned some lessons myself, just with my time working with young players. There is a reasoning behind this."
Defenseman Caleb Jones and forward Noel Acciari won't be in the lineup tonight. Moving into their spots, veterans Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton will make their Penguins debuts.
Kris Letang also returns from injury, and Philip Tomasino draws back into the lineup, taking the place of Acciari.
With Silovs seeking redemption and some lineup tweaks beginning to materialize, Thursday's matchup with the Kings could be an early glimpse into how Muse will balance player development, accountability, and competition this season.
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