Inside The Penguins' Goalie Tandem: Skinner, Šilovs Talk Relationship Outside Rink, Splitting Goaltending Duties

Many people who have been associated with hockey for a long time understand that NHL goalies are simply a different breed.

It takes an insane level of mental fortitude to play the toughest position at the highest possible level, so being a netminder in the NHL is not for the faint of heart. It also helps to have a tandem partner who you work well with on and off the ice to help you navigate the highs and lows of a season and keep pushing you.

Pittsburgh Penguins’ goaltender Artūrs Šilovs has been one half of the team’s goaltending tandem all season long, whether it has been alongside Sergei Murashov, Tristan Jarry, or – most recently – Stuart Skinner, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers as part of the deal that sent Jarry there in mid-December.

And, lo and behold, it didn’t take long for Šilovs and Skinner to get along pretty well. In fact, they’ve developed a pretty good relationship both on and off the ice.

“Yeah, I like the guy. Really nice guy,” Šilovs said of Skinner. “I think we have a good relationship. Went for a couple dinners together. It’s been pretty good. I like him a lot. I think it’s nice to have him here.”

“Especially where he played [before], there’s a lot of pressure. A lot of Canadian markets. I think he did a good job managing it. It’s not easy. If things don’t go your way, you get eaten alive there. And I think he looks happier here, so I’m happy for him.”

Asking Skinner about Šilovs actually garnered a pretty similar response in the beginning, as both mentioned that they’ve already gone to dinner a few times. And Skinner, 27, said that being close in age with the 24-year-old helps a lot with their off-ice relationship, too.

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“It’s been great. Right from day one, we were texting, and we were able to get to a couple of dinners together,” Skinner said. “So, we were able to connect really well right off the bat.

“He’s a great guy, very good goalie, very talented, and we’re somewhat close in age. He’s a little younger than me, but we have that similar age kind of energy, you could say. So, it’s been a lot of fun getting to know him.”

And part of that process has involved the pretty common practice of largely avoiding hockey talk away from the rink. Skinner thinks that there is a time for hockey whenever it becomes relevant to discuss, but he and Šilovs have been able to connect by being present with their human side rather than by just being hockey players.

“Nothing really on the hockey side, to be honest,” Skinner said. “We’ve learned a lot from each other just from a personal perspective and hanging out with each other. I feel like, as hockey players, you tend to talk about things other than hockey just because your life is basically centered around hockey.

“So, it’s a good opportunity for him and I just to chat and be human beings. I’m sure we’ll talk if things come up. That’s kind of what ends up happening, I feel like, even for myself [and] some of the older goalies I’ve played with, you normally talk to them and ask them questions when things kind of come up. So, yeah, I’m always open to hearing anything that he’s got to say, and I’m sure he is with me as well. And we’re still waiting for that moment.”

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Speaking of the hockey side of things, the truth of the matter is that not all goaltending tandems are smooth-sailing, especially when each netminder is trying to separate himself. No matter who Šilovs – who is 15-9-8 with an .895 save percentage in 32 games for the Penguins this season – has shared the net with, it has pretty much been a 50-50 split of the playing time, which has been the theme for the Penguins’ goaltending situation all season long.

For Pittsburgh, it’s a strategy that has worked. And for Šilovs and Skinner – one technically still a rookie but with ample big-game experience, and one still young but with plenty of NHL playoff experience – they are both finding some benefits of continuing to split games, especially with the busy schedule to close out the regular season.

“I think it helps us,” Šilovs said. “I feel like [both guys] have an opportunity to show up on any night. I think you have time for practice, time to improve yourself. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose. So, I think it’s a good opportunity to prepare, be healthy. If you have something, you have time to recover, and just prepare for the next one.”

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He also pointed to how he and Skinner are able to build off of each other’s performances with the way things have been set up as far as their tandem.

“I think it’s a big morale boost,” Šilovs said. “You know, we both want to help the team to win. If he wins a game, I’m happy for him. I’m happy for the team. Especially now, it’s so crucial to get points, it’s like, you want to have success for both guys. And I think that’s going to help us to be in a better spot.”

Even if Šilovs is pretty used to the goaltending split by now since he’s been doing it all year, Skinner is in a bit of a different situation. Prior to arriving in Pittsburgh, he was Edmonton’s No. 1 goaltender – posting 23 appearances with an .891 save percentage with the Oilers this season, which is his fifth full season in the NHL – and getting the bulk of the starts, so cutting some of that playing time has been a bit of an adjustment for him, especially since he’s never been part of a 50-50 tandem before.

For the first time in his NHL career, Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner is working as part of a 50-50 goalie tandem split. Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images — For the first time in his NHL career, Pittsburgh Penguins’ goaltender Stuart Skinner is working as part of a 50-50 goalie tandem split. Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

But the timing of it all actually added up, especially with the Olympic break and the schedule being condensed. Skinner – who is 9-5-5 with an .889 save percentage in 19 appearances with Pittsburgh since the trade – said the decision to split time between the two goaltenders has definitely been the right one for this time of year.

“I mean, it’s the first time I’ve ever had to do it, but I think it’s been working for the team really well,” Skinner said. “We’ve been able to get a solid amount of starts from both of us, been able to get some really good quality starts from both of us. Obviously, we’ve been getting points, we’ve been getting wins, so things have been pretty good.

“If you look at March right now, we’ve definitely had to make sure that we’re doing our best to keep everybody healthy and not exhausted. Even just coming into March, if you look at it, it was the best game plan either way. I think everything that this organization has been doing ever since I’ve been here has been very intelligent, very smart, and it’s working.”

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And even if the numbers for either guy don’t stand out like crazy, it is certainly working for the Penguins, as each of them seems to be able to come up with big saves in big moments of the game. This happened with Šilovs against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, as he made 18 saves in the first period alone to preserve the Penguins’ 4-2 lead heading into first intermission – and he didn’t allow any past him after that.

Then, on Wednesday in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, it would be easy to point to the six goals that Skinner surrendered and claim he didn’t have his best. But he faced 44 Carolina shots and was hung out to dry by the Penguins’ defense for much of the night – plus, he made some huge saves throughout the game, especially in the first two frames to keep the Penguins to within one goal at each intermission. And he made a phenomenal save in the third, too, when his team had just stormed back and taken their first and only lead of the game.