Rinne, Finns advance at World Championship

John Glennon The Tennessean May 17, 2010

Preds goa­lie Pekka Rinne appears to be back in strong form at The World Cham­pionship in Germany.

Rinne lost his first game of the tour­na­ment, as Den­mark beat Fin­land 4-1 in the teams’ ope­ner. But he’s reboun­ded to win his last two games, and now has a 2-1 record, along with a 1.67 goals against ave­rage and a .921 save per­cen­tage. Rinne stop­ped 25-of-27 shots on Mon­day, as Fin­land beat Slo­va­kia 5-2 and clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.

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Pekka Rinne Believes Confidence Is Still High In Nashville

Nashville Predators insist confidence remains high against Chicago Blackhawks: Players say confidence still OK despite stunning Game 5 loss
Bryan Muller The Tennessean April 26, 2010

When the Predators returned home from Chicago on Saturday night, they held an impromptu meeting in the airport hangar.

Coach Barry Trotz told his players to keep their heads up, don't look back, and reminded them of some teams that came back from the brink of elimination to win playoff series.

"It was good to get everyone on the same page," goaltender Pekka Rinne said. "I think everybody was feeling bad about themselves, but you can't feel sorry for yourself. We're still in a good position. We need two more wins. It's pretty simple."

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Rinne Dominates in Net as Preds Beat The Blackhawks 4-1

The Nashville Predators have their first 2-1 lead ever in an opening-round series. It's only fitting the first player they ever drafted played a key role....

Pekka Rinne stopped 26 shots and has allowed only two even-strength goals. Joel Ward and Shea Weber also scored for Nashville, and Martin Erat scored on a penalty shot late. The Predators more than made up for the absence of top goal-scorer Patric Hornqvist, scratched for a second straight game with an injury.


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Predators’ Rinne proves tough to solve

Predators’ Rinne proves tough to solve
He’s in position to fulfill one of the most time-worn postseason roles: the hot goalie that steals a series
Brian Hamilton Chicago Tribune April 19, 2010

From the gridlock in front of the net, the puck scooted to Marian Hossa on the right side of the crease. Nothing but chilled air separated the Blackhawks sniper from a score and some breathing room in Game 2 against the Predators on Sunday.

Then Pekka Rinne vaulted his 6-foot-5 body into that space, the series' other playoff-untested goalie from Finland lunging horizontally and consuming the lane in an instant. Rinne's body swallowed Hossa's shot. The Hawks winger dropped his shoulders, tilted his head back and looked skyward in exasperation.

A golden chance to build on a one-goal lead, bust open a must-win game and perhaps subvert the confidence of a playoff rookie? Finnished.

"There were some pretty remarkable saves there at the end of the regular season where I'm not quite sure how he kept it out," Predators center Jerred Smithson said. "But he did."

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Preds win battle of Finnish goaltenders

CHICAGO -- Patrick Sharp couldn't believe his luck when he grabbed a turnover at the Nashville blue line in the first period of Friday's playoff opener between the Predators and Chicago Blackhawks.



It was the end of a shift, but Sharp took the puck and bolted for the net. Waiting there was Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne. It looked like Sharp had an opening -- but Rinne made the save of the night by poke-checking the puck harmlessly to the corner as Sharp went to shoot.


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Countrymen Rinne, Niemi reach first NHL playoffs

Rick Gano The Canadian Press April 14, 2010

Nashville's Pekka Rinne and Chicago's Antti Niemi share a homeland. On Friday night, the two Finnish goaltenders will have something else in common when they make their debuts in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The six-foot-five Rinne went 32-16-5 this season and hopes to use his big frame to block the net for the seventh-seeded Predators.

Niemi, a 26-year-old rookie, took over late in the season as the Blackhawks' top goalie, starting the final nine games. He had a six-game winning streak before Chicago lost in overtime to Detroit in the season finale Sunday, knocking the Blackhawks into the second slot in the Western Conference.

With goaltending one of the biggest questions for the talented Blackhawks this season, Niemi supplanted Cristobal Huet as the starter and finished the season 26-7-4.

Niemi and Rinne each had seven shutouts.

"Both teams got young goalies and the comparisons are pretty accurate, very similar in a lot of ways," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.

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Nashville Gamebreaker: Pekka Rinne

It goes without saying that goaltender is a focal point for every playoff team, but for the low-scoring, defense-first Nashville Predators, the position's importance becomes elevated even further.

In their 11th season, the Predators will make their fifth postseason appearance this week –- also their fifth in the last six seasons -- and they will do so with their fourth different goalie.

This time, 27-year-old Pekka Rinne will make his debut as a No. 1 playoff netminder and he will enter the postseason among the League's hottest goalies. Over his final 14 games, the 6-foot-5 Rinne went 10-3-1, posting four shutouts.


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Pekka Rinne and Preds Pose Stern 1st-round Test For Blackhawks

Predators to pose stern 1st-round test
Adam L Jahns Chicago Sun Times April 12, 2010

The last time the Blackhawks played the Nashville Predators, there was snow on the ground and Christmas decorations on houses, trees and bushes.

It was Dec. 27, and the Hawks won 5-4. The Hawks have played 44 games since then. But the teams are about to get reacquainted....

Finn vs. Finn

A lot has been made about goalie Antti Niemi's lack of playoff experience. But Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, a Finn like Niemi, never has played in the postseason, either.

Rinne was 32-16-5 with a .911 save percentage and seven shutouts during the regular season. Niemi was 26-7-4 with a .912 save percentage and seven shutouts.

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Pekka Rinne made 31 saves for the Predators in their 3-2 win

Rotoworld.com March 1, 2010

Pekka Rinne made 31 saves for the Predators in their 3-2 win over St.Louis on Thursday night. Rinne continues to steamroll the NHL, and it's starting to get to the point where you have to think teams are hoping they avoid the Predators in the first round of the playoffs.

Additional Reading: http://www.fantasysp.com/player/nhl/Pekka_Rinne/863855

Finest In March (KHL)

The KHL has named the players who were the best of the month in four categories.

- The best goaltender of the month is Ivan Kasutin (Neftekhimik). The keeper played 12 games in March, and in three of these he kept a clean sheet. Overall, he conceded an average of just 1.29 goals per game and saved 95.7% of the shots he faced.

- The best defenseman of the month is Alexander Guskov (Lokomotiv). Heplayed in 13 games and scored four goals, one of which was a game-winner, made three assists and earned an efficiency rating of +7.

- The best attacker of the month is Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev, pictured). In the 13 games he played this month, he scored five goals, including two game-winners, supplied 16 assists and achieved a rating of +12.

- The best rookie (i.e. a player born in 1987 or later, who has played no more than 20 top-level games in previous national tournaments) of the month is Konstantin Plaksin (Traktor). In his 7 games he supplied the assists for 3 goals, merited a rating of +2 and spent an average 24 minutes 53 seconds on the ice in each game.


http://en.khl.ru/news/2010/4/1/23825.html

Predators' Pekka Rinne heats up for playoffs

David Climer The Tennessean March 31, 2010

As they close in on their fifth playoff berth in franchise history, the Predators need a hot goalie.

Fortunately, Pekka Rinne looks like he's heating up just in time.

Forget the 2-0 loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Games like this happen, especially with the hectic schedule the Preds played in the month of March.

Additional Reading: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100331/COLUMNIST0202/3310378/2072/SPORTS

Pekka Rinne's Brilliant Play Making Him A Great Fantasy Option

In the Crease: Rinne finally emerging
Tim Kavanagh ESPN.com March 25, 2010

Last week, Rinne put up the second-longest shutout streak in franchise history. It might not be terribly impressive in a historical context, considering the Predators' 13-season NHL existence, but nearly 150 consecutive minutes of shutout goaltending is nothing to spit at. Rinne combined two shutouts with two other wins to earn the NHL's first star of the week honors Monday.

Additional Reading: http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/hockey/fhl/story?page=inthecrease100325

Rinne's Dominance Continues In Win Over Coyotes

Game Recap: Predators Beat Coyotes 4-3 in Shoot Out
Predsontheglass.com March 26, 2010

Pekka Rinne got the victory stopping 32 of 35 Coyote shots while Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 28 of 31 Predator shots.

Additional Reading: http://www.predsontheglass.com/2010/03/game-recap-predators-beat-coyotes-4-3.html

Q+A Interview with Pekka Rinne

I was able to get a one on one Q+A interview with the NHL’s first star of this past week and Nashville Predator’s starting goalie Pekka Rinne.

Rinne recently signed a two year extension with the Predators and will lead them into the playoffs this season.

Here is my Q+A interview with Pekka Rinne.

Curtis Tudor: Growing up were you always a goalie or did you play any other positions?

Continue Reading: http://www.crashthecrease.com/2010/03/23/qa-interview-with-pekka-rinne/

Preds Future Looks Bright With Pekka Rinne

Predators feel impact of younger players: Group takes the lead in push for playoffs
John Glennon The Tennessean March 23 2010

While the more familiar 30-something names like Jason Arnott, Steve Sullivan and J.P. Dumont have offered their steady contributions, a number of relative youngsters like Colin Wilson, Patric Hornqvist, Cody Franson and Pekka Rinne have emerged as key performers as well.

With nine games left in the season, Hornqvist leads the team in goals (28), Franson leads all NHL rookies in plus-minus rating (14), Rinne is the NHL's current No. 1 star of the week and Wilson has notched 11 points since getting recalled last month.

Additional Reading: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100323/SPORTS02/3230367/2079/sports

Pekka Rinne Named NHL First Star of the Week

Speculation turned to reality this morning when Pekka Rinne was named the NHL's First Star of the Week. In four games, Rinne was 4-0 with two shut outs and a goals against average of 1.22 and a save percentage of .958.

On Tuesday, Pekka stopped 42 of 45 shots as the Preds beat the Flyers 4-3 in a shootout. On Thursday, Rinne was brilliant in a 5-0 whitewashing of Minnesota. He extended his shutout streak on Saturday with a 1-0 overtime win over Columbus. Finally, Rinne's stellar work kept the Preds in Sunday's game with the Blues until their offense could come through in a 3-2 win.

Continue Reading: http://www.predsontheglass.com/2010/03/pekka-rinne-named-nhl-first-star-of.html

Rinne Fabulous in 3-2 Win Over St. Louis

Preds On the Glass March 21, 2010

Pekka Rinne continued his solid play stopping 23 of 25 shots from the Blues. His play during the first period when the Blues were pressuring Nashville's defense kept the Preds in the game giving the offense a chance to get on track.

A couple of quick passes left Carlo Colaiacovo with a shot at the open side of the Predator's net ending Pekka Rinne's 146:56 minute scoreless streak and gave the Blues a 1-0 lead.

Additional Reading: http://www.predsontheglass.com/2010/03/game-recap-predators-comeback-3-2-win.html

Pekka Rinne a Lock For NHL First Star of the Week...

Preds On the Glass March 21, 2010

Rinne was the difference maker again on Sunday as he kept the Predators in position for a huge come back win on the road. While the Preds were not scoring, Rinne was protecting the net so that when the opportunity came, the win streak could be extended to six games.

It would seem that Rinne is a virtual lock for the NHL first star of the week as he has gone 4-0 with two shutouts, a 1.22 GAA, and a .958 save percentage for the week as he extended his winning streak to six and improved his post Olympic record to 8-1.

Additional Reading: http://www.predsontheglass.com/2010/03/game-recap-predators-comeback-3-2-win.html

Pekka Rinne delivers a shootout win

John Glennon THE TENNESSEAN March 17, 2010

It took the Predators just seven shots on goal to build a two-goal lead over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

They spent much of the rest of the contest admiring goalie Pekka Rinne's work.

Rinne, the NHL's reigning third star, turned away 42 shots and all three Philadelphia shootout attempts to guide Nashville to a 4-3 shootout victory in front of an announced crowd of 16,585 at Bridgestone Arena.

"Pekka kept us in it all game,'' Preds captain Jason Arnott said. "It was not one of our best games, by far. We didn't do the right things … People can say it was an ugly win, but we'll take the two points.''

Additional Reading: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100317/SPORTS02/3170385/Pekka+Rinne+delivers+a+shootout+win

Pekka Rinne named NHL's 3rd Star of the Week

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