Pekka Rinne has been quite poor through two contests in Pittsburgh with a horrid save percentage of .778. Headed home, the expectation is that he will get the nod to start Game 3 with a raucous home crowd behind him. But the 21 year-old backup Juuse Saros shouldn’t get his baseball hat fitted quite so securely. Predators coach Peter Laviolette has been known to take massive gambles with his goaltenders come playoffs, and he’s found success while doing it. Back in 2007, Martin Gerber was rightfully scratched in favor of Cam Ward, who had a phenomenal playoff resulting in a Stanley Cup Victory. In 2010, Laviolette benched veteran Brian Boucher to tap AHL journeyman Michael Leighton, who miraculously led the 8th-seeded Flyers to a Game 6 overtime against the Chicago Blackhawks in a Stanley Cup Final. Saros is young, to be sure, and he only has 22 NHL contests under his belt, not counting his minimal relief effort in Pittsburgh. Rinne is a former Vezina winner and by all standards has “earned” the right to start Game 3 in his home barn. That said, Ward only had 28 contests under his belt when Laviolette made him the starter. If Rinne were to somehow find the bench tomorrow, it could complicate his future in Smashville. Rinne only has two years remaining at $7 MM per season, but he has been absolutely central to GM David Poile’s strategy thus far.
- Carl Hagelin isn’t happy to sit on the sidelines in Pittsburgh, as he was stated in an interview with the Tribune-Review. He’s frustrated with himself and his own performance, after only scoring one goal the entire playoffs and sitting out numerous contests. By all accounts, he has been a team player about the entire situation. He has never fully recovered from a lower-body injury, and the drop off in skating has been noticeable. Hagelin is having quite a different post-season than last, but his struggles didn’t begin in April. He potted only 6 goals and 22 points this season, with a shooting percentage of 4.7%. He looked out of sync with both Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel, and struggled to find his place following his demotion. The speed of Hagelin is still a deadly asset, but his play hasn’t warranted his $4 MM pricetag. When it comes time to protect players, Hagelin could theoretically find himself as a sacrificial lamb for Vegas to claim, with the dual purpose of saving cap dollars.
- Nashville captain Mike Fisher could be considering retirement following this post-season, according to NBC Sports. He is entering the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 37. He had a solid season in Tennessee, posting 18 goals and 24 assists, an improvement over his prior two outings. He had a rough statistical start to the playoffs, going pointless through three rounds of play although he provided amazing defensive play and special teams expertise. Fisher would most likely take a moderate paycut from his current $4.4 MM to remain in Nashville for at least one more season, but his decision could be impacted by the hectic life of his wife Carrie Underwood. If he opted to retire, it would leave Nashville in a difficult situation of replacing both their leader as well as a #2 center. It seems likely that a deal can be worked out by management, especially in light of Nashville’s lengthy, successful campaign.
Matt Murray played 13 NHL games before taking Pittsburgh through the playoffs last year. He was a year older but had less experience and a weaker defense in front of him.
True, but in Murray’s case he replaced Fleury due to injury, not poor performance.
The Flyers were the 7th seed, not the 8th seed, that year.