Is Pekka Rinne playing his way into Vezina Trophy consideration?

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 2:50 PM EST in Nashville Predators Analysis

Ryan Miller. Roberto Luongo. Tim Thomas.

Pekka Rinne?

It's not as absurd as it sounds. Though he's missed some time due to injury, the Predators' number one goaltender is currently playing at an elite level, putting up some jaw-dropping statistics that are second in the league to only the aforementioned Thomas' NHL 11-like numbers. Take a look:

	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2010 - Pekka Rinne	31	1807	16	11	4	63	2.09	894	831	.930	3

After the jump, a little more on the performance of a player who is making his way into the league's elite.

Before we continue, let me clarify: Tim Thomas unequivocally should, and probably will, win the Vezina Trophy. Contending that Rinne should take home the hardware ahead of Thomas would be foolish.

What's not foolish, though, is making the point that the big Finn is performing better than those "bigger" names that are being tossed out in trophy discussion, like Carey Price or Henrik Lundqvist. He is - and the statistics bear this out.

Rinne_medium

The Predators have the league's 3^rd ranked defense, but that goals against number is not completely due to the strong play of their defensemen. In fact, Nashville's blueliners are giving up 30.4 shots per game, which is good for just 16^th in the NHL, a rather pedestrian number. The great equalizer, then, is Pekka Rinne.

Perhaps we haven't seen the same number of "highlight reel" saves out of Rinne as in years past, but that's a product of him consistently giving up few rebounds and staying in position to make a save that looks much easier than it otherwise would be.

I do not believe that Rinne's current run of play is just another hot streak. He started the season strong, and instead of regressing to more average numbers, he's shown clear improvement as the season wears on. Take a look at these monthly splits:

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
October November December January	6 12 5 8	348 673 301 483	2 5 2 7	2 5 3 1		14 26 11 12	2.41 2.32 2.19 1.49	195 301 134 264	181 275 123 252	.928 .914 .918 .955	1 2 0 0

MIN

EGA

GAA

SV%

October

November

December

January

348

673

301

483

2.41

2.32

2.19

1.49

195

301

134

264

181

275

123

252

.928

.914

.918

.955

Now, should we expect Rinne's numbers to continually get better? Of course not. But I would also not expect them to get significantly worse - this is one of the NHL's best goaltenders, and one that deserves entirely more credit than he receives.

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But for Tim Thomas

Alas, alas. Boston screws us again [this is possibly the first time Boston has screwed us – although I think Karl Dean is from Boston].

A mentality of “Oh We Can Just Pop Any Tall Scandinavian Back There” did start to creep up when Peks was out and Anders was hot. Don’t look now, but Anders has been very rookie-y in his last few starts. That’s not to say he isn’t a perfectly wonderful back-up [he is and another big fist tap to Poile and his staff for that one], but his middling performances have shown what an asset Pekka is. Presumably, those two guys are playing with the same blueliners up top.

If Pekka can maintain this run of form, there’s no doubt he’s in the conversation and definitely a finalist. “But for Tim Thomas” indeed.

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 2:54 PM EST reply actions

yep

I think Rinne’s the clear leader if Thomas isn’t up there standing on his head. Of course, who knows how much weight the voters give to that pesky wins statistic (which Rinne would have more of if he wasn’t injured).

The point of the post, really, is to bring attention to how well he’s playing – you never hear his name bandied about when discussing elite goalies, while Luongo, Miller, Cam Ward, and Carey Price receive praises, despite Peks being better than them all right now.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 2:57 PM EST up reply actions

Yes maybe there is more weight on wins. But Thomas and Rinne played the same amount of games. And there it is… more wins for Thomas.

by Alex Van Priss on Jan 21, 2011 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

Nice to see you posting so much, JR.
Always enjoy your take on things.
Now about this meme you invented…

by cisar on Jan 21, 2011 4:07 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, I’m the reason people tweet about Goc in all caps. For better or worse.

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 5:31 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

undoubtedly

for better – Goc is good.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 6:02 PM EST up reply actions

Goc is great. Goc is good. Let us thank him for this goal. Amen

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 6:55 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I goc you in the sights of my guuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnn

by cisar on Jan 21, 2011 7:00 PM EST up reply actions

When I was a kid I loved my tamaGOChi

by Lil cutie on Jan 21, 2011 9:59 PM EST up reply actions

What about

every time he scores people yell, “GOC YA!”
no jk don’t do that.

I'm from the OC.
The one in Ohio.

by Predfan14 on Jan 22, 2011 12:21 AM EST up reply actions

Is “GOCh Ness Monster” too much of a stretch?

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 10:23 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I love the Sonny and Cher hit “I goc you, babe”

by cisar on Jan 22, 2011 12:59 AM EST up reply actions

Goc is a level 70 Elite NPC that can be found in Blade’s Edge Mountains.

by cisar on Jan 22, 2011 1:01 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

no

that’s awesome

by Tim P on Jan 22, 2011 1:35 AM EST up reply actions

One of the Predators’ “Seats on the Glass” winners this season had OMGOC as the name on her #9 Preds sweater this month.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Jan 22, 2011 7:53 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

you never hear his name bandied about when discussing elite goalies, while Luongo, Miller, Cam Ward, and Carey Price receive praises, despite Peks being better than them all right now.

Coastal bias! …Montreal’s on the coast of something.

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 3:00 PM EST reply actions

wait wait wait

I need the backstory behind the first part of your signature.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 3:01 PM EST up reply actions

When I wrote the column for the Scene about who I thought Vandy’s new football coach should be, in which I sort of lambasted Plaster’s continued (and now-generally-seen-as-foolish) assertion that Navy’s offensive coordinator would be the new coach, the guys on 3HL asked Plaster what he thought of it. He began his answer with “I don’t know who this ‘J.R. Lind’ is.”

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 3:05 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Presumably he doesn’t know who I am because I was never the GM for the Denver Broncos in the mid-1970s.

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 3:06 PM EST up reply actions

Ha, excellent. Good stuff.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 3:07 PM EST up reply actions

Montreal is on the coast of the Saint Lawrence River

and we know how biased those jokers can be.

by FaaaangFiiinger on Jan 21, 2011 3:26 PM EST up reply actions

We might be coasting into the playoffs…

by cisar on Jan 21, 2011 4:05 PM EST up reply actions

Pekka the Wrecka

I wonder how many one goal games he’s had in the past month.
It seems like it’s been almost every game.

by Predfan14 on Jan 21, 2011 3:13 PM EST reply actions

I can answer that

Since December 26th, he’s started ten games. He’s allowed just one goal in seven of them.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 3:16 PM EST up reply actions

But...

somehow no shutouts, correct?

I'm from the OC.
The one in Ohio.

by Predfan14 on Jan 21, 2011 3:18 PM EST up reply actions

correct.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 3:19 PM EST up reply actions

Oh so close last night.

Graphic Designer/Researcher/Writer at Music City Miracles.
Official Graphic Goon of On The Forecheck.

DON'T READ BLEACHER REPORT!

by Aditya T (smashville) on Jan 21, 2011 4:02 PM EST up reply actions

One goal a game against.

I’ll take that streak anyday, all through the playoffs :)

by DonBorvio on Jan 21, 2011 8:24 PM EST up reply actions

Big Moment

comes when Luongo and Rinne meet in Vancouver next week. If Pekka outduels him, let the Vezina conversation begin.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Jan 21, 2011 3:18 PM EST reply actions

perhaps

but Lou shouldn’t be in the conversation anyway. It’s Thomas, then Rinne and Lundqvist, imo.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 3:20 PM EST up reply actions

What about Hiller in Anaheim?

I'm from the OC.
The one in Ohio.

by Predfan14 on Jan 21, 2011 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

The numbers aren’t there, but he does deserve mention for staying sane and competent while facing the most shots in the league.

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 21, 2011 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

Behind the most terrible defense, on paper. Well, at least outside of NJ.

My blog and Twitter, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
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"Numbers don't lie, they just don't agree with you"--George E. Ays

by red army line on Jan 22, 2011 3:19 AM EST up reply actions

I don't know

His all black mask is pretty badass.

by BradPerala on Jan 22, 2011 9:29 AM EST up reply actions

Except the gold face cage, if that was matte black too – it would be awesome.

by DonBorvio on Jan 22, 2011 7:51 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with that, or platinum, but not gold.

by cisar on Jan 23, 2011 1:51 AM EST up reply actions

Agree with you about Luongo, but he’s a media magnet in Canada. Pekka shutting him down automatically qualifies for Page 1.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Jan 21, 2011 4:02 PM EST up reply actions

Thomas has to regress a lot or get hurt

and Pekka needs to stay healthy. But it’s possible.

by Sam Page on Jan 21, 2011 3:33 PM EST reply actions

Shame on you even hinting at this. Booo. Hisss.

But, considering all the other stuff, injuries, etc. happening to the Preds, we just have to cross our fingers and hope that Peks stays healthy. All the way into June/July

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jan 21, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

I think...

We are still considered to be a small town southern hockey team that no one really cares about (by no one I mean the entire NHL except for Preds fans of course and all the sports channels). I might be exaggerating, but this is what it seems like to me. I don’t know what it’s gonna take besides more business investors that will allow us to take our salary cap to the limit and be able to keep all these talented draft picks and selling out more games than we already are. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the improvement out team has made in filling the stands, but I’ve also heard we’ve been giving away a lot of seats which should help us out in the long run to increase our fan base. As for the sports channels like ESPN and the NHL Network and such, the highlights of our games are always last or near last. They rarely have anything good to say about out team and when they do it’s very brief. Anyways, to get to the point, I think Rinne, most of our players besides Weber because of his Olympic and All Star appearances, and our team doesn’t get the recognition we deserve is because the NHL nation doesn’t like us.

by predsfan4life88 on Jan 21, 2011 7:59 PM EST reply actions

Highlights were first last night. Following news on Fleischmann, though.

by cisar on Jan 21, 2011 8:41 PM EST up reply actions

Trotz backs me up...

right here – http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/528016/DAVID_POILE_1-21.mp3

by predsfan4life88 on Jan 22, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions

Sorry..

David Poile.

by predsfan4life88 on Jan 22, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions

Giveaway tix

I haven’t pulled the official paid numbers in awhile from the Sports Authority, but the last time I looked (before Christmas), the comp tickets weren’t up all that much from last year.

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 21, 2011 8:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Anybody know...

Whether the free tickets from the Toyota test drive promotion count as comps or tickets sold? I’m preparing myself to be a stone wall of refusal when the salesman tries to talk me into buying the thing, but I’m heading down for a scheduled test drive here in a couple hours…

by Swingnut on Jan 22, 2011 9:22 AM EST up reply actions

That’ll count as a comp. It’s good business though. Enjoy your test drive! Pick something expensive.

"I don't know who this 'J.R. Lind' is." -- George Plaster
Proud inventor of the AMTWBC meme
Integrity oozer

by JRLind on Jan 22, 2011 11:18 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Toyota sells something expensive?

On the Forecheck: where Paul Kuharsky plays second fiddle.

by Chris Burton on Jan 22, 2011 11:23 AM EST up reply actions

The Land Cruiser is fairly expensive. Not Maserati expensive, but 60k+ is still up there.

by DonBorvio on Jan 22, 2011 7:50 PM EST up reply actions

It's a fact of life for Nashville Predators fans...

That way, we stay under the radar, and teams never see us coming. I like being the underdog. Hopefully, we’ll be like the Hurricanes and go all the way this year behind the stellar play of Rinne, and a scoring by committee approach as has happened most of the year.
Our play away from the puck has been inspiring lately, and I hope this play continues throughout this road trip, and throughout the year.
This just proves that we don’t need big names to compete in the big dance. Fine by me. Blue-collar work-ethic, much like our community. GO PREDS!!!!!!!

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jan 21, 2011 11:01 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah but

think how annoying it’ll be when all the dumb people jump on the bandwagon when we win. I like the fact that we have a big Red Wings or Blackhawk fan turn out and we get to out cheer them. We win and all those people will don Preds jerseys and be annoying.
“I sure do love that Gock kid, he’s swell.” ugh.

There's only two kinds of teams in the NHL: Predators and prey.

by Predanooga on Jan 22, 2011 8:40 AM EST up reply actions

I hate bandwagoners, but at least we don’t have as many as the Red Wings, Steelers, and Yankees. They bandwagon just because the teams win. Makes me sick.

by predsfan4life88 on Jan 22, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions

Whatever. Bandwagoneers buying tickets, and food, and sweaters is fine with me.

by cisar on Jan 22, 2011 2:37 PM EST up reply actions

One of the fantasy leagues I’m in went to a keeper setup this year, and I made a tough choice sticking with Rinne over Vokoun. Glad it’s paying off so far!

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Preds. I can save you a few $$$ on Nashville Predators tickets, or just catch me on Twitter and Facebook.

by Dirk Hoag on Jan 21, 2011 9:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions