December hasn’t been kind to November’s player of the month so far.
Pekka Rinne helped hold the Nashville Predators together when they struggled early and then was there for their recent ascent, but coming into this season, many expected him to be a weakness for his team.
Especially worried types might wonder if “that” Rinne is returning after a tough Thursday performance in the Dallas Stars’ eventual 5-2 win against the Predators.
Rinne allowed four goals on 18 shots before being taken out of the game about six minutes into the second period. One of his best moments was this bit of unintentional comedy:
okay maybe just don't go near any goalies tonight pic.twitter.com/W2tQejMsZ4
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNation_NHL) December 9, 2016
All kidding aside, it’s been a rough run lately, even if the sample size is small enough that it would be silly to panic.
While he did grab a win during this span, Rinne’s now allowed 12 goals in his last four games. That’s happened on 68 shots on goal, so he’d have a .823 save percentage for this span.
During his magnificent month of November, he generated an awe-inspiring .949 save percentage over 12 games.
Such a staggering disparity shows how wildly a goalie’s stats can swing thanks to an off night or two.
It would be foolish to overreact, but it’s a situation to watch as the Predators hope to round into a legitimate contender out West.