Silovs, Penguins blank Panthers 4-0 to snap four-game skid

The Pittsburgh Penguins (4-6-1, 3-1-0 home) ended their four-game losing streak Thursday night with a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers (5-4-2, 3-3-2 away) at PPG Paints Arena. Arturs Silovs stopped all 26 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. Nick Robertson scored twice, and Evgeni Malkin and Hendrix Lapierre each added a goal and an assist. Read more: Silovs, Penguins blank Panthers 4-0 to snap four-game skid.

“Even before the game, I just thought there was an extra focus in the room,” Lapierre said. “OK, enough’s enough. Obviously, there was stuff that happened in the last couple (days), but we’re a family, we’re a brotherhood, and we’re there for each other.”

It was Pittsburgh’s first regulation win since the season opener, and it came at the end of a trying week.

Robertson strikes first

The Penguins controlled the first period but couldn’t solve Cooper Black right away. Black, 25, made his NHL debut and became the tallest goaltender in league history at 6-foot-9. The Panthers recalled him from Charlotte of the AHL after Jacob Markstrom suffered a shoulder injury.

Robertson broke through at 15:19. Connor Dewar carried the puck into the zone and dropped it to a trailing Robertson, who dragged it around Uvis Balinskis and snapped a wrist shot past Black’s glove. Dewar and Kris Letang assisted.

“He just scores,” Dewar said. “He gets a look, he scores. That’s the kind of player he is, and it’s pretty nice to play with.”

Robertson’s goal held up through the first period, and Pittsburgh outshot Florida 8-5 in the frame.

Lapierre doubles the lead

Lapierre, a healthy scratch for the previous four games, made it 2-0 at 9:59 of the second period. Silovs poked a loose puck to Malkin, who led a 3-on-2 rush and moved it to Ville Koivunen. Koivunen slid a pass to Lapierre at the top of the crease, and Lapierre buried it. Koivunen and Malkin assisted.

“I saw the puck right in front of me. Nobody is around,” Silovs said. “I better push it out because I couldn’t freeze it.”

Silovs was called for a double minor for high-sticking Sam Bennett at 16:17 of the second, but the Penguins’ penalty kill didn’t allow a shot on goal over the full four minutes. Pittsburgh’s only shot during that stretch was a Dewar breakaway.

Malkin, Robertson close it out

Malkin extended the lead 1:40 into the third period. He picked up a deflected Lapierre clearing attempt, slid the puck under a diving Gustav Forsling and beat Black under the glove. Lapierre and Spencer Stastney assisted.

Related: History says don’t panic: Penguins have overcome slow starts before

Robertson sealed it with an empty-net goal at 17:34, with assists from Dewar and Blake Lizotte. It was Robertson’s sixth goal of the season, tying Malkin for the team lead.

The Penguins killed all four Florida power plays and went 0-for-3 with the man advantage. Black finished with 17 saves. Forsling left late in the third period after taking a puck to the face and did not return.

Silovs steps up

Silovs came in with a 3.51 goals-against average after giving up five goals in several starts on the road trip, but the defense in front of him was much sharper Thursday.

“We just played structurally better,” Silovs said. “When defensively we’re more locked in and defending the house, it makes my job much easier.”

Head coach Dan Muse called it one of the Penguins’ best performances of the season.

“We talked about consistency,” Muse said. “That’s right up there, I think, for me in terms of the most consistent game of the year.”

Silovs improved to 4-3-0.

Injury updates

Bryan Rust was placed on injured reserve and will be reevaluated in six weeks after suffering a lower-body injury in Monday’s loss at Utah. He had three goals and five points in seven games.

Ben Kindel, 19, was also placed on injured reserve after collapsing on the team’s flight home from Salt Lake City on Tuesday. President of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said Kindel had a vasovagal episode, regained consciousness on the plane, and was taken to a Salt Lake City hospital after an emergency landing. Kindel returned to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and Dubas said he could return to practice as soon as Sunday or Monday.

Egor Chinakhov was a late scratch with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Rutger McGroarty, recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton along with defenseman Chase Pietila, played 15:05 in his season debut. Sam Girard also missed the game.

Up next

The Penguins continue their three-game homestand Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Nashville Predators.

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