Vancouver Canucks Arturs Silov calls Game 6 'a character win'

Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silov used every part of his body and his equipment in a physically and mentally grueling record-breaking Game 6 win against the Nashville Predators on Friday night. Silov's Game 6 performance makes him the youngest Canucks goalie to ever record a playoff shutout in franchise history.

The "Arty Party" has commenced since Game 4, resulting in three consecutive starts and two wins against the Predators. With his 28 saves in Game 6, he was the obvious choice to receive the game puck. Silov accepted it in the locker room calling it a "character win" for the team.

Silov has become the unlikely star for the Canucks in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs which saw the team using three goalies and each earning a win. Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith earned wins and sustained injuries in the series though DeSmith is healthy and was eligible to play Game 6.

Will Arturs Silov's pink shirt-wearing "Arty Party" continue?

The 23-year-old Latvian, Arturs Silov, can do no wrong since he was called to duty as the emergency goalie. Even his taste in clothing, a pink shirt that JT Miller wore during Canucks practice on Friday, has been a good luck charm.

Superstitious fans now believe that JT Miller must wear Silov's pink shirt to practice for the rest of the season on game days. The so-called ugly shirt eased tension in the Game 6 preparations and helped the team and even Coach Rick Tocchut learn more about Silov who he admitted earlier in the series that he did not know very well.

All humor aside, Tocchet has a big decision ahead of him before the Canucks take the ice at Rogers Arena for a likely Tuesday series opening game against the Edmonton Oilers. Will he stay with the less experienced Silov or go back to DeSmith?

It would be difficult to sit Silov, but Tocchet will likely consult goalie coach Ian Clark to determine who the Game 1 starter will be. In the meantime, Canucks fans are celebrating a huge series win and likely trying to find both a No. 31 Silov Canucks jersey and the aforementioned pink shirt that has now experienced its five minutes of fame.