Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne had an easy night in his first rehab start, making 16 saves in the Milwaukee Admirals' 9-1 victory against the Iowa Wild in an American Hockey League game Friday.
Rinne played the entire game, the first time he had done so since Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Wild. He has played nine NHL games this season.
"I'm feeling really good," Rinne said, according to The Tennessean. "I'm happy I got to make a few good stops and play the full 60 minutes. I think that was the main goal, just get that game conditioning. It was quite an easy game for myself. I was telling some of the guys after the first period I was still tired even though I had just five shots."
The Predators sent the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist to the Admirals to continue his comeback from an infected hip following offseason arthroscopic surgery. He is in the second season of a seven-year $49 million contract.