NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne figured
he had nothing to lose in his NHL debut.
It worked out even better as Rinne made 35 saves in Nashville's
5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
"They told me at the morning skate that I was going to start,"
said Rinne, recalled Wednesday from Milwaukee of the AHL. "After
they told me, it was a pretty normal game day for me. I was so
excited. When they drop the puck you don't have time to think about
anything. If you do, then you are going to get beat."
Rinne is the fourth goaltender used by the Predators this
season. He was recalled after Nashville backup Chris Mason
sustained a groin injury during warmups Tuesday night at Florida.
Brian Finley, also recalled from Milwaukee, lost 7-3 that night,
prompting the decision to start Rinne.
"Brian is going to be OK," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said.
"He was the best goaltender in the AHL last month. He had a bad
experience. He will regroup. We have confidence in that."
The Predators also have confidence in Rinne who will probably be
in goal Saturday night against Columbus if Mason is not ready.
The Blackhawks tested Rinne early as Mark Bell scored a
short-handed goal on a wrist shot from low in the slot that went in
at 2:29 of the first period.
"The first shot Rinne gets in the NHL is ripped right by him,"
Trotz said. "How a player responds to that tells you a lot about a
player. And he responded very well."
Paul Kariya tied it for Nashville 92 seconds into the middle
period, shooting a one-timer through traffic from high in the slot
past goalie Craig Anderson.
Martin Erat put Nashville ahead 2-1 at 10:32 of the period.
Yanic Perreault gave the Predators a two-goal lead 6:17 later,
pushing the puck into an empty net with Anderson out of position
after taking a pass from Steve Sullivan.
Nashville's Vernon Fiddler skated through the slot on a short
breakaway and put the puck high above Anderson's left shoulder at
1:48 to make it 4-1.
"With the two new goalies, we have to give them support,"
Fiddler said. "It is an adjustment to come to Nashville. We didn't
give Finley a lot of help. We played a little better in front of
Pekka and he really stood in there."
Less than a minute later, Tyler Arnason cut the deficit to two
goals. Anton Babchuk followed with his first goal of the season, to
make it 4-3. But Sullivan restored Nashville's two-goal lead with
his 13th goal, a short-handed tally on a breakaway.
"It's hard to hold onto a lead in the NHL unless you can lock
things down and get a team out of synch," Trotz said.
The Blackhawks were unable to score on nine power-play
opportunities. The Predators scored on 1-of-9.
"When we did generate chances they made a couple of good
saves," Chicago coach Trent Yawney said. "We definitely have to
be better. It has to come from within. We have to be smarter with
the puck."
Game notes
RW Jordin Tootoo was back in a Nashville uniform for the
first time since the season opener, replacing Jeremy Stevenson who
is out for a month with a knee injury. Tootoo was recalled earlier
in the day from Milwaukee. Pavel Vorobiev's assist on Bell's goal
gave him four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in three games.