Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne earns first career NHL shutout


Congratulations to PuckAgency client Pekka Rinne on his first career NHL shutout!

Rinne stopped 30 saves en route to a 2-0 win in Buffalo last night. Pekka, from Kempele, Finland, was making only his 6th start of the season (and appearing in his 9th career NHL game) and improved his record to 4-0. Rinne, who appeared in the 2007-08 AHL All-Star game for the Milwaukee Admirals, is signed with Nashville through the 2009-10 season. The Predators take on the red-hot Colorado Avalanche Thursday night at the Sommet Center.

December 2, 2008

By John Glennon
THE TENNESSEAN

Picking Pekka: Predators goalie Pekka Rinne made the most of his second start in three games, posting 30 saves and registering the first shutout of his career.

Rinne was in the net for a 4-3 overtime victory Friday, while Dan Ellis suffered a 6-2 loss to Minnesota on Saturday. But Predators Coach Barry Trotz said the choice of Rinne on Monday was more related to the schedule than anything else.

Trotz wants Ellis well-rested when the Predators on Thursday begin a stretch of seven straight — and 14 of 16 — Western Conference games.

“Ellie is going to see a lot of the nets upcoming, so from that standpoint, it was good to get Pekka in the nets and give him some work,” Trotz said. “It was a really good game from Pekka. He made couple (of) big, timely saves when we needed it.”