The Nashville Predators have completely turned things around after starting off extremely slow and being well in last place in the division. They've won 11 of their last 13 and have beaten some top NHL contenders along the way.
So what's the deal with this unexpected turnaround? It's the same thing that has always been the key to the success of the Predators. It's the goaltending.
In this case it's second-year man Pekka Rinne who is quietly becoming one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. The only thing that would do better in the net right now would be a brick wall and I don't think that's allowed by the NHL rulebook.
The Predators have won seven straight overall and during that streak Rinne hasn't given up more than three goals in a game. He also has a shutout in that span.
It's not just the stats that are proving how good Rinne really is. It's also his toughness. He's racing to the pucks to clear them out of the zone and, if necessary, he'll even take out one of the opposing players on a breakaway.
Sometimes that can result in a goal by the other team, but the risk is worth it. It shows toughness and other teams will respect a goalie that's not afraid to knock you down to the ice.
A seven-game winning streak is impressive in itself but consider some of the teams they've beaten during this span. Three division wins over Detroit, St. Louis, and Columbus. Wins over San Jose and New Jersey, which are both conference leaders. Their latest victory came in overtime over Colorado which is third in the Western Conference.
It's still pretty early in the season but you have to give credit to a franchise that gets overlooked so much by the rest of the NHL. Here in Nashville everyone knows that they're one of the hardest working teams in the NHL.
One prime example of that is the fact that they make the playoffs almost every year with little talent to show for it. That shows that sometimes heart trumps talent. The Preds keep proving that year after year and don't be surprised if they make another run into the playoffs.
Pekka Rinne
- 11-4 record
- 2.33 goals against average
- 91% save percentage
- 2 shutouts
- Zero overtime losses
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