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The Pittsburgh Penguins weathered a sudden change in netminding this weekend and left Florida with a 5-2 victory, after Stuart Skinner was held out with an upper-body injury. Backup Arturs Silovs rose to the occasion, and the team’s offense supplied timely scoring to secure the road win.
Why Stuart Skinner didn’t play against the Panthers
Skinner was scratched for the back-to-back series in Florida after sustaining an upper-body issue. He had worked the full game in Thursday’s meeting with Tampa Bay, but the club chose to keep him out of both games against the Panthers.
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The decision sidelined Pittsburgh’s 27-year-old goaltender as the team managed its depth and recovery timeline.
Silovs delivers in back-to-back starts
Arturs Silovs was handed the crease for a second straight outing and answered with steady goaltending. He turned aside 29 shots in Sunday’s matchup and limited the Panthers to two goals.
Game highlights and goalscorers
- Rickard Rakell scored twice to spark the attack.
- Sidney Crosby recorded a goal and two assists.
- Bryan Rust and Elmer Soderblom added one goal each.
- Florida’s offense came from Carter Verhaeghe and Cole Schwindt.
Silovs had entered the weekend fresh off a strong showing in a high-scoring win the night before. His consecutive starts provided stability while Skinner recovered.
How Skinner’s season has unfolded
Since arriving from Edmonton in December, Skinner has been used regularly in Pittsburgh’s rotation. His overall numbers are modest, but there are signs of improvement.
- Appearances: 24 games since the trade
- Record: 11-8-5
- Goals-against average: 2.99
- Save percentage: .886
- Recent trend: saved about 1.4 goals above expected in his last 10 outings
Coaching staff and medical personnel will monitor his recovery before deciding on a timeline for his return.
Penguins bring up Taylor Gauthier for goaltending depth
To ensure coverage behind Silovs, Pittsburgh recalled Taylor Gauthier from their AHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers. Gauthier has been one of the top performers in the AHL this season.
- Record in Wheeling: 20-7-5
- Goals-against average: 2.00
- Save percentage: .932
- Shutouts: 3 in 33 games
Gauthier served as Silovs’ backup Sunday, and remains available if Skinner’s absence is prolonged.
Standings impact and upcoming schedule
The Penguins sit at 40-22-16 and hold second place in the Metropolitan Division. The team heads into a busy finish to the regular season with minimal upheaval in the standings.
- Thursday: at New Jersey Devils
- Next: a home-and-home series against the Washington Capitals
- Regular-season finale: on the road against the St. Louis Blues
How long Skinner remains out could influence the club’s goaltending rotation down the stretch. For now, Pittsburgh has workable options and a defense that supported two wins across the weekend.
