For better or worse, many World Cup teams seem to lean toward experience when it comes to picking their goalies.
The latest example seemingly comes with Finland picking Pekka Rinne over Tuukka Rask to face North America in their tournament opener, the rough equivalent to giving him the No. 1 job.
That word comes from multiple reporters, including LNH.com’s Arpon Basu.
With each goalie making massive and nearly identical amounts of money, it’s a little tougher to tell what the determining factor might be. Neither generated the greatest work in preliminary games, though Rinne does have Finland’s lone exhibition win.
Rask’s career save percentage (.924) is comfortably superior to that of Rinne (.917), but Rinne has a bit more NHL experience and is four years older.
It’s a decision that comes with some criticism, but the bottom line is that the towering Nashville Predators goalie draws the start.
If Rask wants to feel any better, he may only need to think about the dazzling group of young skaters who will attempt to beat Rinne tonight.