“It’s a terrible feeling.”
That’s what Nashville Predators starting goalie Pekka Rinne told reporters Thursday after a disappointing Game 7 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
Rinne was pulled less than 11 minutes into the opening period after giving up two soft goals on seven shots.
“It’s the most important game of the season and I let the whole team down,” a dejected Rinne said of his performance. “You let your teammates down and it’s tough to swallow. … Two terrible goals at the wrong time. It’s hard.”
“It was almost a fluky start more than anything,” Predators head coach Peter Laviolette said.
Predators defenceman P.K. Subban came to the defence of his goalie, calling Rinne “the backbone of our team” and saying anyone criticizing him doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Rinne will in all likelihood win the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top netminder despite being pulled on three separate occasions in the series with the Jets.
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