Silovs makes 28 saves, Canucks hold off Blackhawks

VANCOUVER -- Arturs Silovs made 28 saves in his first start since Oct. 30 to record his first win of the season for the Vancouver Canucks, a 4-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at Rogers Arena on Saturday.

J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist for Canucks (9-4-3), who bounced back from a 5-2 loss against the New York Islanders on Thursday to improve to 5-2-0 in their past seven games. It was Vancouver’s second win in its past six home games.

“We were not happy with the game against the Islanders, so good response,” said Elias Pettersson, who scored for the third time in the past four games. “But now we got to make it two games in a row and make it our identity.”

Ilya Mikheyev scored against his former team and Arvid Soderblom made 29 saves for the Blackhawks (6-11-1), who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Chicago has only scored one goal in each of the four losses.

“Our quality scoring chances were up,” coach Luke Richardson said. “Just can’t find the back of the net. Lack of drawing penalties, too. We can’t seem to get enough chances there, which would probably help a little bit in production.”

Mikheyev returned to the lineup after two games as a healthy scratch and scored 6:50 into the first period to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. Nick Foligno took the puck to the net with one hand around defenseman Erik Brannstrom and the rebound went right to Mikheyev unchecked on the other side of the crease.

“It's a great play from [Foligno] and just, it's simple,” Mikheyev said. “Not simple, it's hard to do, but we need more to just play like [Foligno].”

It was the second goal in 16 games this season for Mikheyev, who spent two seasons with the Canucks before being traded to Chicago on June 26 and was back in the lineup in place of Taylor Hall, a surprise healthy scratch.

“It's good, but it's not enough,” Mikheyev said of scoring against his old team.

Pettersson tied it 1-1 on the power play at 4:56 of the second period, when his one-touch pass from the left of the crease intended for Conor Garland on the backdoor bounced in off the skate of Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy.

“Lucky bounce but take it,” Pettersson said.

Silovs, who was making his fourth start of the season and second in the past month, stopped Foligno on a breakaway on a five-hole shot at 14:15 of the second period after a turnover just inside the Canucks blue line.

“Just had to be ready, like risk management, things happen, turn over, make a save, calm the atmosphere down,” Silovs said. “I felt great, had a lot of confidence. Guys were doing a good job too, a good [penalty] kill that gives you a huge boost, especially at end of the first period, that's crucial. And then we started to play really well in the second and took over.”

The 23-year-old Latvian goalie spent most of last season in the American Hockey League but took over four games into the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after injuries to Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith, and helped the Canucks eliminate the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the second. This season hasn’t started as well, however, with an 0-2-1 record and .808 save percentage limiting his opportunities before Saturday.

“It's awesome to see,” Pettersson said. “He looked like the playoff Arty. He made some really good saves.”

Brannstrom put the Canucks ahead 2-1 at 4:25 of the third period with a one-timer of a loose puck above the left face-off circle that deflected off the skate of Murphy in the slot and past Soderblom on the short side. It was the defenseman’s second goal in three games and his first game-winning goal in the NHL.

“Always fun to score,” Brannstrom said.

The Blackhawks would like to get in on some of that fun. They outshot Vancouver 14-9 in the first period but were outshot 17-8 in the second and only had four shots after Brannstrom scored the go-ahead goal 4:25 into the third. Chicago is averaging 2.33 goals per game, ahead of only the Nashville Predators (2.28).

“It's getting frustrating,” Alex Vlasic said. “It's pretty tiring to rely on one goal to win against a good team so we’ve got to figure out a way to turn it around.”

Miller scored into an empty net from center ice at 18:04 to make it 3-1 after Chicago center Connor Bedard, playing his first NHL game in his hometown, fanned on a dump-in attempt. Bedard hasn’t scored in nine games.

“That’s just a little bit of salt in the wound I think coming home for his first game here,” Richardson said. “But I saw the guys patting him on the back. It happens. He’s trying to do the right thing and get it in deep and he just missed the puck. That just kind of compounds everything but we’ll talk to him and support him.”

Teddy Blueger added a second empty net goal at 18:56 for the 4-1 final.

NOTES: Murphy played a season high 25:04 after moving up onto the top pair in place of defenseman Seth Jones, who was placed on injured reserve on Saturday after blocking a shot in a 3-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. … Vancouver has won nine straight against Chicago dating back to a 1-0 loss on Nov. 21, 2021, and 12 of the past 15. … Miller has five points (one goal, four assists) on a three-game point streak.