He entered Game 7 with a 3.25 GAA in the series and a. We ran into a good team and they’re moving on.”
It was a series that we wanted to move forward on. “So he shouldn’t, he shouldn’t talk about things like that on his own. The bottom line is it didn’t work out for the Predators on this night, Laviolette said. Not that home ice meant a tinker’s damn in this odd seven-game set that saw the visiting team win five times including three Winnipeg wins in the noisy barn on Broadway. Rinne is a big reason the team won their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy and had home ice advantage. Juice (Saros) had done a good job all year but Peks has been the backbone of this team and the reason why we’re here.” “Like I said it was some tough bounces and you become limited with what you can do to try and change the game. He insisted that the veteran netminder shouldn’t be shouldering the burden of blame. Subban power-play marker before the end of the first, the Jets were so disciplined and committed there was never really a moment when it felt like the Predators were going to get back in this one.Īfter the game Laviolette sought out Rinne to give him a hug. Head coach Peter Laviolette made the goaltending switch and even though the Predators would pull to within a goal with a P.K. Two goals, seven shots in 10:31 of one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. Just 2:06 later Paul Stastny looked to try and tuck the puck in short side on the opposite side of the goal and was able to lift the rebound of that attempt over Rinne’s shoulder to make it 2-0. If Myers takes that shot 100 more times it’s entirely possible he never scores again. Replays showed that the puck somehow found a gap between Rinne’s left skate and pad and the goal post. Tyler Myers opened the scoring from an almost impossible angle along the Nashville goal line before the first period was half over. Likely wins the Vezina.”īut the national analyst added, “tough night to have a tough night.” “Best tender in Preds’ franchise history. “I love Pekka, the goalie and the person,” former NHL netminder Kevin Weekes said. One by one or in small groups the Predators embraced Rinne.įellow Finn Juuse Saros, who came on in relief and allowed two goals on 16 shots, waited and trailed Rinne through the handshake line a nod of respect to the franchise netminder. Rinne’s teammates obviously felt the same as they all made a point of finding Rinne on the ice prior to the ritual handshake line after the Jets had skated off with this to-and-fro series and into their first-ever conference final. How this all turned out was as heartbreaking as it was shocking. Thursday night all you wanted to do was to give the soft-spoken veteran a big hug. Three nights earlier we had lionized Rinne for his stellar work in shutting out the Jets in Game 6 in Winnipeg. You let your teammates down and that’s what happened tonight. The biggest moment of the season it’s a terrible feeling. But total ups and downs throughout the playoffs.
Felt good and no injuries and totally healthy. “I feel very much responsible for our season ending at this point,” said the 35-year-old who has known no other team but the Predators. Nashville won three games, taking two of the three games at home.And it is, of course, a fool’s errand to suggest at the end of a seven-game series that saw the NHL’s two best teams clash in the second round that one player deserves more blame than anyone else.īut that is the nature of the position and in fact, it was Rinne who faced down a monstrous scrum of reporters and cameras after the game who shouldered the burden for the loss himself. In five regular-season meetings, Nashville and Winnipeg combined for 42 goals with the Predators scoring 22. The Avs took Game 5, but Nashville dominated Game 6 with a 5-0 win to close out the series. After taking a 2-0 series lead, the Predators dropped Game 3 and held off a feverish rally in Game 4 for a 3-1 series lead. Nashville had to deal with a pesky, young Colorado Avalanche team in the opening round. Winnipeg made a statement to close out the series with a 5-0 victory April 20 with goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s second straight shutout. The Jets made quick work of the Minnesota Wild in the first round in five games for their first playoff series victory in franchise history. The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs continues Friday with Game 1 of the Winnipeg Jets-Nashville Predators series.
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