Pekka Rinne outperforms, leads Nashville Predators past Detroit Red Wings 4-1 -NHL Update
Nashville’s veteran goalie, Pekka Rinne, outperformed all others on the ice by making a number of key saves to keep Detroit out as head coach, Barry Trotz picked up his 500th career win with Predators rolling past Red Wings, 4-1, Friday night,
March 30, 2012, at the sold-out Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
For Trotz, being with a team that has grown tremendously over the past few seasons and has become a regular playoff entry teams is what really makes him proud of. Now that making the playoffs are the least of his concerns, coach Trotz has begun aiming for
might higher things, things like the Stanley Cup.
"I think our organization has grown and been a consistent producer of players," Trotz said. "We've drafted pretty well and I think we've produced pretty well and have become a competitive team. Now our goals are to do what everybody else sets out to do --
go deep in the playoffs and win a Stanley Cup. We used to go, 'We've got to make the playoffs, we've got to make the playoffs.' The mind-set now is that we expect to make the playoffs and we've had a lot of change in our team [since last year]."
Rinne outclassed the competition as he blocked a number of crucial shots that could have forced an opposite outcome. Firstly, he got lucky as Nicklas Lidstrom fired it off near the centre ice point, which clearly went past Rinne but ended up striking the
goal post and failing to go in.
An amazing manoeuvre from Rinne’s side came when Henrik Zetterberg had an ample opportunity to tip in a goal after the goalie deflected a shot by another Detroit player but Rinne impressively was able to grab the puck right off the stick with his glove while
still in the air.
Gabriel Bourque and Francis Bouillon got Nashville off to a good start as they potted two straight in round-two of the contest while Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber added two more to secure the win in the third period.
Jiri Hudler managed to score the only goal for Detroit 16:57 into the third.
Nashville has won three of the past four contests and hope for another win against Chicago Blackhawks at home on Saturday.
Detroit Red Wings will be hosting Florida Panthers on Sunday.
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