NHL rumors: Could the Predators actually bench Pekka Rinne?

Heading back home with an 0-2 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final, could the Nashville Predators bench goaltender Pekka Rinne?

The feel-good story of the 2017 NHL playoffs has been the Predators, with goaltender Pekka Rinne as the backbone for their run from No. 8 seed in the West to the Stanley Cup Final. But a dismal Game 1 performance, with the Pittsburgh Penguins scoring four goals on just 11 shots, was followed by Rinne being benched after allowing the decisive three goals early in the third period of a Game 2 loss Wednesday night.

Rinne showed some signs of wearing down during the Western Conference Finals against the Ducks. The statistics back up what had been a gradual decline since the Predators’ first round upset of the Chicago Blackhawks, followed by a historically bad first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

After the game, while also acknowledging shortcomings from the rest of the team, Predators’ head coach Peter Laviolette was not willing to commit to Rinne for Saturday night’s Game 3.

"“Pekka has been terrific through this entire playoffs,” he responded post game when asked about his confidence to go back to Rinne on Saturday. “Like I said, I think there’s things we can do better. All three goals in the third period, we could have done something better. We’re leaving them odd man numbered rushes. I believe all of them were odd, three-on-twos and two-on-ones makes it more difficult.”"

And when he was more directly asked about the goalie situation, Laviolette followed coach-speak and repeated himself.

"“Pekka has been excellent for us all year long, like I said,” he said. “There’s things that we could have done. All three goals in the third period were odd-man rushes.”"

Predators’ backup goalie Juuse Saros was hardly tested in his first career playoff game, turning away both shots he faced Wednesday night. In 21 regular season games this year, the 22-year-old went 10-8 with a .923 save percentage and a 2.35 goals against-average.

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The one spot Nashville entered this series with a theoretical advantage over Pittsburgh is between the pipes. That has not come to fruition through two games, but unless an injury forces the move, benching Rinne is not the answer for the Predators.