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Nashville Predators: What’s the plan for Pekka Rinne?

By Omar L

NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 10: Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) is shown during Game Seven of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets, held on May 10, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 10: Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) is shown during Game Seven of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets, held on May 10, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images /

Rollercoaster Performance

What makes things worse for Rinne and the Nashville Predators is that it wasn’t a one-time event. The veteran goaltender had a very rocky series against Winnipeg. Some like to throw around the ‘peaks and valleys’ cliche, but that was actually the case with Rinne.

  • Game 1: 3 goals against/13 saves/.813 Sv%
  • Game 2: 4 goals against/46 saves/.920 Sv%
  • Game 3: 5 goals against/38 saves/.884 Sv%
  • Game 4: 1 goal against/32 saves/.970 Sv%
  • Game 5: 6 goals against/20 saves/.769 Sv%
  • Game 6: 34-save shutout

It’s harsh, but based on the trend, you could sniff out what kind of night Rinne was going to have. There were even games in round one against the Colorado Avalanche that threw the 35-year-old for a loop. Most importantly Games 3 that saw Rinne allow 4 goals on 15 shots (.733 Sv%).

To make matters worse, Game 7 was the fourth time Saros had to go in for relief. Here’s what Rinne had to say.

"“I obviously feel very much responsible for our season ending at this point. Tough. Tough to swallow. Tough to understand. You know, I can’t point on anything. Felt good and no injuries, totally healthy and total ups and downs throughout the playoffs. And obviously, you know, the biggest moment of the season, it’s a terrible feeling. You let your teammates down, and that’s what happened tonight.”"

After a season that had the Predators win the President’s Trophy with a 117-point performance, the second-round was nowhere close to where they wanted to be. The question remains, do the Preds need to make any grand changes or can they accept the fact that they ran into a really good team?

I’d agree that the former is the better option to accept. However, seeing the way things ended may sway David Poile to be a little more proactive on a number of fronts. He’s already announced that Alexei Emelin and Scott Hartnell will not be returning. But that may not be the only change.

It may be time for the Predators to move on from Rinne. Not just because of what happened this year, but based on the importance of goaltending in the NHL. It’s apparent now more than ever that a team can’t reach the depths of the playoffs without it.

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