Pekka Rinne has no idea whether he will have another opportunity to play in a Stanley Cup final. History suggests he is wise to think that way.
Nonetheless, some of his teammates are a bit more optimistic following the Nashville Predators’ most successful playoff run, which ended with a Game 6 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday.
kAm“(6’G6 AC@G6? E92E H6’C6 2 E62> E92E 42? 4@>A6E6 ?@H 2?5 H:? ?@H[” 5676?D6>2? !]z] $F332? D2:5] “x E9:?< E92E H6’G6 8@E D@ >2?J 8FJD E92E 2C6 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 6IA6C:6?46 7C@> E9:D CF? 2?5 FD6 E92E E@ AC@A6= E96> @G6C E96 @77D62D@? 2?5 4@>6 :? 5FC:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? 2?5 5@ H92E H6 ?665 E@ 5@] pE E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ E96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 8FJD :? E96 =628F6 E92E 5@?’E F?56CDE2?5 H92E :E E2<6D E@ 86E 96C6] %96J’G6 ?6G6C 366? :? E9:D A@D:E:@? 367@C6 2?5 H6 <?@H H92E :E E2<6D E@ 86E 96C6]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?@H H92E H6 92G6 E@ 5@ 2?5 x E9:?< H92E H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 7C@> E9:D E92E H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 36 6G6? 36EE6C :7 H6 H2?E E@ 364@>6 492>A:@?D]”k^Am
kAmz?@H:?8 2?5 5@:?8 2C6 5:776C6?E E9:?8D] |@C6 @7E6? E92? ?@E[ 2 D64@?5\A=246 7:?:D9 92D 366? E96 DE2CE @7 DECF88=6D]k^Am
kAm$:?46 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 }w{’D D2=2CJ 42A 6C2[ @?=J @?6 E62> E92E 92D =@DE :? E96 $E2?=6J rFA 7:?2= 6G6C 92D >256 :E 324< E@ E96 7:?2= C@F?5 @7 E96 A@DED62D@?] %92E :D E96 !6?8F:?D[ H9@ =@DE E@ s6EC@:E :? E96 a__g 492>A:@?D9:A D6C:6D 3FE H@? E96 rFA E96 ?6IE J62C 2?5 – 7@==@H:?8 :ED D:I\82>6 G:4E@CJ @G6C }2D9G:==6 E9:D J62C – ?@H 92D H@? :E EH:46 :? 2 C@H]k^Am
kAmr@?G6CD6=J[ :? a__e t5>@?E@? =@DE E@ E96 r2C@=:?2 wFCC:42?6D[ H9@ H6C6 =65 3J 4FCC6?E }2D9G:==6 4@249 !6E6C {2G:@=6EE6] %96 ~:=6CD E96? >:DD65 @FE @? E96 A@DED62D@? `` DEC2:89E J62CD 367@C6 E96J 7:?2==J >256 :E 324< E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm$:>:=2C=J[ E96 }6H y6CD6J s6G:=D 92G6 ?@E 366? E@ E96 A=2J@77 D:?46 E96:C a_`a 7:?2= 2AA62C2?46]k^Am
kAm%96 '2?4@FG6C r2?F4<D 92G6 ?@E H@? 2 A=2J@77 D6C:6D D:?46 a_``[ H96? E96J A=2J65 7@C E96 492>A:@?D9:A]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E96C6’D D@ >2?J 8@@5 E9:?8D E92E H6 =62C?65 2D 2 8C@FA – 9@H E@ A=2J[ 9@H E@ 4@>6 E@86E96C 2D 2 E62> 2?5 9@H E@ 36=:6G6 :? 6249 @E96C[” 42AE2:? |:<6 u:D96C D2:5] “x E9:?< E96C6’D @?=J A@D:E:G6D E92E 42? 4@>6 @FE @7 E9:D]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D @3G:@FD=J 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E 2?5 =@D:?8 :D ?6G6C 62DJ] x E9:?< H6 =62C?65 2 =@E 2D 2 8C@FA[ 2 =@E @7 =6DD@?D E96 8FJD H:== 42CCJ 7@CH2C5 7@C DFC6]”k^Am
kAmu:D96C H2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 ~EE2H2 $6?2E@CD :? a__f[ H96? E96J H6C6 E96 }w{’D CF??6CD\FA] xE E@@< 2 564256[ 3FE ~EE2H2 7:?2==J >256 :E 324< E@ E96 4@?76C6?46 7:?2= 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 E96? E9:D DAC:?8]k^Am
k3=@4<BF@E6mk6>mp =@@< 2E E96 $E2?=6J rFA CF??6CD\FA Wa__e\AC6D6?EX 2?5 E96:C 36DE A=2J@77 CF? D:?46ik^6>mkF=mk=:mkDEC@?8ma__eik^DEC@?8m t5>@?E@? – r@?76C6?46 D6>:7:?2=D[ a_`fk^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma__fik^DEC@?8m ~EE2H2 – r@?76C6?46 7:?2=D[ a_`fk^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma__gik^DEC@?8m !:EED3FC89 – $E2?=6J rFA 492>A:@?D a__h[ a_`e[ a_`fk^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma__hik^DEC@?8m s6EC@:E – r@?76C6?46 D6>:7:?2=D[ a_`_[ a_``[ a_`bk^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma_`_ik^DEC@?8m !9:=256=A9:2 – r@?76C6?46 D6>:7:?2=D[ a_``[ a_`ak^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma_``ik^DEC@?8m '2?4@FG6C – r@?76C6?46 BF2CE6C7:?2=D[ a_`a[ a_`b[ a_`dk^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma_`aik^DEC@?8m }6H y6CD6J – }@ A=2J@77 2AA62C2?46Dk^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma_`bik^DEC@?8m q@DE@? – r@?76C6?46 D6>:7:?2=D[ a_`ck^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma_`cik^DEC@?8m }]*] #2?86CD \\k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma_`dik^DEC@?8m %2>A2 q2J – r@?76C6?46 7:?2=D[ a_`ek^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8ma_`eik^DEC@?8m $2? y@D6 – r@?76C6?46 BF2CE6C7:?2=D[ a_`fk^=:mk^F=mk^3=@4<BF@E6m
kAm{@8:4 DF886DED E92E E96 !C652E@CD 2C6 >F49 36EE6C A@D:E:@?65 E@ >2<6 2?@E96C CF? – @C CF?D – 2E :E :? E96 4@>:?8 J62CD] (:E9 2 C@DE6C 962GJ @? A=2J6CD af 2?5 J@F?86C[ >2?J @7 H9@ 2C6 F?56C 4@?EC24E 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD[ E96 C@DE6C :D ?@E =:<6=J E@ F?56C8@ D:8?:7:42?E 492?86D]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ E96C6 2C6 ?@ 8F2C2?E66D]k^Am
kAm“x H2D EC62E:?8 E9:D 2D 2 @?46 :? 2 =:76E:>6 @AA@CEF?:EJ[” #:??6 D2:5] “*@F ?6G6C <?@H H96? J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E 2?@E96C @AA@CEF?:EJ] %96 @?=J E9:?8 x H2D E9:?<:?8 23@FE H2D E92E rFA 2?5 5C62>:?8 23@FE E92E 2?5 A=2J:?8 7@C E92E]k^Am
kAm“#:89E ?@H :E’D E@F89 E@ 2446AE 2?5 E@F89 E@ 92?5=6] qFE x’> C62==J AC@F5 @7 E9:D E62> 2?5 E96 H2J H6 A=2J65[ E96 H2J H6 92?5=65 E9:?8D H96? H6 72465 D@>6 25G6CD:EJ E9C@F89@FE E96 D6C:6D]”k^Am
