The Nashville Predators goaltender conundrum is a hot storyline to follow with just a couple of days to go until the 2020 NHL Winter Classic. The Nashville Predators will be facing the Dallas Stars on January 1st, a team who’s goaltending duo has been very strong so far this season. Nashville, however, has not had such luck.
Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros have each gotten their fair share of starts with Rinne getting the starting nod 22 times and Saros 16 times for the Predators. Both goaltenders have not lived up to expectations as they are each in the midst of career low seasons.
The Predators are currently sit outside of a playoff spot at this time and are in sixth place in the Central Division, one point behind Minnesota in fifth. Despite their low position, the Nashville Predators are not far from a playoff spot. The Predators are three points out of the league’s final wild card spot in the West and have three games in hand over the Calgary Flames who currently hold the spot temporarily.
A win on New Years at Cotton Bowl Stadium could be exactly what the Predators need to get back on track and work their way back to a playoff spot. Choosing their starting goaltender will be the first step in what will be a very important game.
Starting off the new year on the right note would be great for the Predators as every win counts in such a tight playoff race. To start off the new year with a win could be a great momentum changer as well for the Nashville Predators. While the goaltenders are not the sole reason for the Predators rocky season so far, they do certainly hold part of the blame.
The Stars and Predators have only faced each other once this season with the Stars coming out on top earlier this month. The Stars won by a score of 4-1 with Rinne in between the pipes. He let in four goals stopping just 18 of 22 shots while Anton Khudobin put up a stellar 37 save performance.
Over the course of December, Rinne has received the starting nod seven times while being called to relieve Saros only once. Over the eight times that Rinne saw the ice through the month of December, he averaged a .845 SV%. Saros, on the other hand, has taken to the ice six times (five times as a starter) over the month of December.
Through that span, the 24-year-old averaged a SV% of .850. The difference between the two goaltenders in terms of save percentage is hardly noticeable, making the decision all the more difficult.
The winter classic is different from other regular season NHL games. Although on paper it is just another regular season game, there is a completely different feel as opposed to a typical game. The intensity will be far higher between the two teams, the attendance is much larger, the weather plays a factor as well and the stakes feel higher despite it still being two points on the line like any normal game.
The fact that the game is being played in Dallas will gives the Stars home field advantage. The fans will be mostly be wearing green and white and will be cheering for the home team. The Predators will want someone who has experience playing high-stakes games away from Bridgestone Arena to start Nashville’s first ever outdoor game and can handle the pressure. This is where Pekka Rinne comes in.
Rinne has the experience and the veteran status that Saros is yet to achieve. The 37-year-old has been the Predators starting goaltender for 11 years and is a fan favourite and the fans would love to see the longtime veteran goaltender and career Nashville Predator get his chance to play outdoors for the first time in the NHL. Pekka Rinne’s time in the NHL is winding down and the 2020 Bridgestone Winter Classic will likely be his last chance to play an outdoor game.
The Predators are the only NHL team that Rinne has played for throughout his entire career and to see him finally get a chance to play outdoors is something that would not only please the fans, but would show Rinne how much he has meant to the organization for over a decade.
Overall, it is the experience and the veteran status of Pekka Rinne that makes him the better choice to start over Juuse Saros. Fans will have plenty of time to see Saros run the Predators crease for years to come, however, Rinne isn’t getting any younger. As a fan favourite for over a decade and the more experienced goaltender, it makes the most sense for Pekka Rinne to start at Cotton Bowl Stadium against the Dallas Stars on New Year’s Day.