Predators G Pekka Rinne out 3-5 weeks with knee injury
The Nashville Predators will be without their starting goaltender, Pekka Rinne, for at least the next three games.
By
Adam Gretz
•
1 min read
The Nashville Predators look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender through the first half of the season, and the play of starting goaltender Pekka Rinne has been one of the biggest reasons why.
Unfortunately for the Predators, they will be without him for the next three to five weeks while he recovers from a sprained knee that he suffered during their 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
In 37 appearances this season Rinne has a .931 save percentage, third best in the NHL, and is not only one of the leading contenders for the Vezina Trophy which goes to the top goalie in the league every season, but is also making a pretty convincing MVP case.
Injuries limited him to 24 games in 2013-14, and when he was in the lineup he never seemed to be himself. His absence, combined with his struggles when he did play, were too much for the Predators to overcome.
Rinne was part of the 2015 NHL All-Star roster but will not participate in the game due to the injury.
He was replaced by Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on Thursday.
For the short-term, this will be a pretty big blow to the Predators but they still do enough things well that it shouldn't be too much to overcome, especially with a pretty solid hold on a playoff spot in the Western Conference. They are a top possession team in the NHL and score a ton of goals which can help overcome a drop in goaltending production. They might lose an extra game or two in the short-term because of it, but just so he is able to return within a month and get back to playing at his normal level they should remain a top team in the NHL.
