The roar of home crowd still in his ears, Predators Pekka Rinne makes the right call in retiring

By John Glennon

    Having surrendered a whopping eight goals on just 36 shots in the first two games of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, Predators goalie Pekka Rinne returned to Nashville a bit bruised and battered.

    He’d carried the Predators through the better part of the first three rounds of the postseason, but all of a sudden Rinne looked out of sorts, wayward pucks somehow finding holes in his pads.

    So with the Predators facing a must-win situation – trailing Sidney Crosby and the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0 – Rinne stepped onto the Bridgestone Arena ice in the moments leading up to Game Three.

    That’s when the healing began, a restorative roar for the home team in general, but for the franchise’s cornerstone in particular.

    “Skating out for warm-ups, you could already feel our home crowd behind us, and as well toward me,” said Rinne, who announced his retirement Tuesday following a 15-year career and a 369-213-75 record.

    “They were so supportive. They felt like I needed that little extra feel-good, and I really did.”

    A leap of faith

    The relationship between Rinne and the Predators started way back in 2004, but it was not . . .

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Author: John GlennonMulti-media journalist with extensive expertise covering the NFL, NHL, professional soccer and more, including the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators for The Tennessean with articles, videos and podcasts. Strengths include the ability to write quick, concise and thorough analysis, as well as the ability to uncover unique human-interest stories. In working as a reporter, John developed skills that extend beyond the sports journalism world. An efficient and effective communicator, John is confident, calm and productive under deadline pressure and knows the power of the written word. John brings to Broadway Sports a work ethic second to none, an intellectual hunger, and an ability to inform and entertain readers, viewers and listeners. Reach out directly to John at: